Commons business papers

Contents

Published: Tuesday 25 January 2022

Early Day Motions tabled on Monday 24 January 2022

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

883Campaign for an Osteogenesis Imperfecta national awareness month

Tabled: 24/01/22 Signatories: 1

Chris Law

That this House recognises the Brittle Bone Society’s campaign to mark the month of May as the National Awareness Month for Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI); notes that OI is a genetic bone disorder characterised by fragile bones that affects a person from birth; recognises that around 5,000 people across the UK are affected by the condition; celebrates the work of the Brittle Bone Society, who offer a variety of support to those affected, including but not limited to practical assistance; believes that a national awareness month would help raise awareness among the general public of the condition; and calls on the Government to back the campaign and officially recognise May as the National Awareness Month for OI.

884Kinglassie Primary School, Young Writer’s Champions 2021

Tabled: 24/01/22 Signatories: 1

Peter Grant

That this House congratulates Mr Noble’s P4/5 class (now P6/7) of Kinglassie Primary School on winning the Young Writer’s Competition in the 2019-20 academic year; highlights that the class wowed the judges with their tales and were picked as winners out of more than 13,000 entries from over 690 schools across the whole of the UK; commends the hard work of all the pupils who submitted their crazy stories in the Ridiculous Writers category in order to win and put Kinglassie Primary School on the map as having some of the best young writers in the UK; notes their unusual inspiration for their stories in the form of rolling a dice to choose adjectives and nouns to form the basis of their story; applauds the class on winning £500 for their school and on being published in a book showcasing the work of the very best young writers from across the UK; and wishes the pupils all the best for their future writing endeavours.

885Celebration of the birth and legacy of Robert (Rabbie) Burns

Tabled: 24/01/22 Signatories: 1

Allan Dorans

That this House notes and celebrates the 263rd anniversary of the birth of Robert (Rabbie) Burns, Scotland’s National Bard, in Alloway on 25 January 1759; notes that he is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic literacy movement, and after his death became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism and a cultural icon in Scotland and among the Scottish diaspora; further notes that he was a poet and lyricist who penned the words of Auld Lang Syne, which is sung across the globe on New Year’s Eve; notes that he wrote over 700 other poems and songs including Tam O’Shanter, Ae Fond Kiss, To a Mouse, Scots Wa Hae, A Red, Red Rose and A Man’s a Man for A’ That, and whose work has been translated into more than 40 languages and his memory honoured by more than 50 official statues including in the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Russia and Estonia; and further notes that he has had his image portrayed on postage stamps, banknotes and coins in a number of countries and whose life, works and immortal memory are celebrated at Burn’s Suppers across the world by millions of people on 25 January every year.

886DVSA test centre closures

Tabled: 24/01/22 Signatories: 1

Kate Osborne

That this House notes with concern the current programme of closures of local DVSA driving test centres across the country, including the South Shields DVSA Test Centre in the Jarrow constituency; acknowledges that the loss of the Bede Industrial Estate facility is yet another blow to South Tyneside, while lesson times, prices and waiting lists all increase at a period when waiting times for driving tests are at an all-time high; further notes that such closures are being undertaken without any consultation with those directly affected or the local community; strongly believes that moving the test centre away from South Tyneside could discourage many from learning to drive in the borough and risks skilled instructors and examiners leaving the industry which will further exacerbate already high waiting times; further acknowledges that the added distance South Tyneside learners will be forced to drive to take lessons will increase emissions and impact negatively on the environment; calls on the DVSA to reconsider any such closures; and further calls on the Department for Transport to suspend immediately any such closures and to instruct the Driving Vehicle Standards Agency that no closures may be undertaken without a full public consultation.

887Mandatory covid-19 vaccinations

Tabled: 24/01/22 Signatories: 1

Rachael Maskell

That this House condemns the Government for twice passing legislation to introduce mandatory covid-19 vaccination of health and care workers in 2021; notes that by Government’s own assessment this will result in up to 115,000 staff members being dismissed, putting severe pressure on NHS and social care, causing additional stress to NHS and care staff and further hindering retention, while NHS pressures and backlog grow; notes the NHS Constitution is clear that healthcare must be delivered by informed consent, through a personal choice; further notes that the legislation will only provide a supported conversation by a line manager, rather than with a professional with appropriate competencies and if staff have not received their first vaccination by 3 February 2022, they will be dismissed; notes that these measures are opposed by the health and social care staff professional bodies, such as the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Nursing, as well as all the health and social care trade unions; and is further concerned that according to Government data, the depleting efficacy of the vaccine over a 10-week period is just 40 to 50 per cent against the Omicron variant, and will therefore provide little protection against the transmission of covid-19 in comparison to daily testing and better graded PPE; and calls on the Government to immediately withdraw the regulations with immediate effect to avert this health and social care workforce and service crisis.

888Family Fund 2020-21

Tabled: 24/01/22 Signatories: 1

Marion Fellows

That this House recognises the invaluable work of Family Fund, as the UK’s largest charity providing grants to families on low incomes raising disabled or seriously ill children; commends their role in supporting families by providing grants for essential items, family breaks, sensory equipment and more; further recognises the significance of this work, supporting 8,468 carers with grants worth over £3.6 million in 2020-21; and commends all of their staff on their excellent work to support families on low incomes raising disabled or seriously ill children in Motherwell and Wishaw, Scotland and the UK, particularly during these difficult times, and wishes them the best for the future.

889Child citizenship fees

Tabled: 24/01/22 Signatories: 1

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

That this House believes that no child should be priced out of British citizenship; is appalled by the Home Office practice of charging a fee of £1,012 to register a child for British citizenship; is further appalled that the Home Office makes a profit of £640 from each child citizenship application; notes the Court of Appeal ruling of 19 February 2021 which declared this practice unlawful; believes that children born in the UK should be granted automatic British citizenship; urgently calls on the Home Office to immediately cease profiting from child citizenship fees and limit charges associated with child citizenship to the cost of processing applications; and further calls on the Government to review the impact of such fees on children’s human rights.

890Sewage dumping in UK waterways

Tabled: 24/01/22 Signatories: 1

Jon Trickett

That this House expresses its concern at the dumping of sewage into UK waterways; recognises that the practice is dangerous to public health and damaging to the environment; further recognises that the pollution is making it unsafe for people to swim in natural designated bathing sites such as the River Wharfe in Ilkely, West Yorkshire, which has been given a water quality rating of poor by the Environment Agency; believes the problem is a result of the lack of investment by the private water companies who have persistently failed to address this issue; notes that £19 billion was paid out in dividends to shareholders in water and sewerage businesses operating in England between 2010 and 2021, which is an average of £1.7 billion a year; further notes that water bills in England and Wales have increased by 40 per cent above inflation since privatisation in 1989; calls on the Government to immediately place a legal duty on the water companies to avoid sewage dumping; and expresses its support for the public ownership of the UK water system so that the profits of this national asset benefit all the people of the UK and not just a small group of shareholders.

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.

829Covid mitigation in schools

Tabled: 10/01/22 Signatories: 15

Layla Moran

Ms Diane Abbott

Wera Hobhouse

Sarah Olney

Claudia Webbe

Jim Shannon

That this House notes that schools never shut and should never have to; expresses alarm that internationally and scientifically recognised, multi-layered mitigations advised by the WHO were not in place before in-person education resumed in September 2020, March 2021, September 2021 and January 2022 to prevent unnecessarily exposing students, staff and their families to increased risk of infection from airborne, covid-19 causing pathogens; recognises the importance of face-to-face learning in children’s psychosocial development but stresses that this cannot be at the cost of their safety; notes with concern the failure to issue guidance that was firmly grounded in health and safety legislation and scientifically recognised infection control protocols, instead focusing on maximising attendance, which has contributed to over 100 children dying and thousands suffering from long covid; calls on the Government to stop pursuing the prosecutions of parents who wish to prevent their children from catching and spreading covid-19; and praises the work of SafeEdForAll, for tirelessly helping hundreds of thousands of families across the UK, who are deeply concerned with the current safety of schools.

835Human rights in Bahrain

Tabled: 11/01/22 Signatories: 51

Margaret Ferrier

Sir Peter Bottomley

Tony Lloyd

Brendan O'Hara

Jim Shannon

Kenny MacAskill

That this House is concerned by continuing serious human rights violations in Bahrain, including the ongoing arbitrary detention and inhumane treatment of prisoners of conscience, including Abduljalil al-Singace, Hassan Mushaima, Abdulwahab Hussain, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and Sheikh Ali Salman; notes that Freedom House in its 2021 report rated Bahrain as not free and that Bahrain is ranked 150 out of 167 countries in The Economist’s 2020 Global Democracy Index and 168 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index 2021; urges the Bahraini Government to release all prisoners of conscience, enable civil society representatives and human rights defenders to operate freely, permit genuine political opposition and independent media, and end the use of the death penalty; further urges the Bahraini Government to initiate a substantive and inclusive in-country dialogue on political and constitutional reform and to cooperate with human rights organisations and experts, including from the UN, to allow for, inter alia, an independent assessment of prison conditions and its reform agenda; and calls on the Government to review its funding to and other agreements with Bahrain and to meet human rights defenders and organisations, civil society representatives and non-violent opposition from Bahrain, as well as to take action to hold Bahraini officials responsible for serious human rights violations to account.

836Detention of Professor Faizulla Jalal

Tabled: 11/01/22 Signatories: 14

Patrick Grady

Jim Shannon

Caroline Lucas

Allan Dorans

Chris Law

Amy Callaghan

That this House notes with concern reports that Professor Faizullah Jalal of Kabul University, Afghanistan, has been arrested by the Taliban following an appearance on a news channel in which he criticised the regime’s response to the humanitarian situation in the country; notes that many human rights organisations have expressed concern at that arrest, and that Amnesty International has described it as the latest effort by the Taliban to stifle dissent and further evidence of Taliban intimidation, harassment and violent attacks on individuals who criticise them, and that the organisation has found human rights defenders, women activists, journalists and members of academia have the greatest number of reprisals; and calls on the UK Government to condemn the behaviour of the Taliban, join efforts to press for the release of Professor Jalal, and to rapidly scale up its effort to provide asylum and resettlement support to Afghan nationals who wish to escape the Taliban regime and make their home in the UK.

853Tamil Heritage Month 2022

Tabled: 17/01/22 Signatories: 9

Ed Davey

Alison Thewliss

Jim Shannon

Apsana Begum

Jamie Stone

Gareth Thomas

That this House recognises January as Tamil Heritage Month; acknowledges the tremendous contributions that Tamils make to British society, particularly the vital role the Tamil community has played in helping the UK tackle covid-19 as healthcare workers, teachers, and vaccine researchers; celebrates the richness of Tamil culture; notes that the Canadian Government has already recognised January as Tamil Heritage Month; further notes that January is an important month for Tamils as it marks Thai Pongal, the Tamil Harvest Festival; recognises the importance of increasing awareness about the accomplishments of the Tamil diaspora; and calls on the UK Government to formally establish January as Tamil Heritage Month.

855Pencaitland Youth Football Club Fundraise for Defibrillator

Tabled: 17/01/22 Signatories: 3

Kenny MacAskill

Jim Shannon

Margaret Ferrier

That this House commends Pencaitland Youth Football Club for working alongside Pencaitland Bowling Club to raise funds for a defibrillator; congratulates the club on their success of raising over £1,000 by covering 204 miles by walking round the village's park before Christmas 2021 with their parents and coaches for the life-saving device; notes that the defibrillator will be sited at Pencaitland Bowling Club for use by members of the public in an emergency; and wishes Pencaitland Youth Football Club the best of luck with their futures.

856Bridges Project to receive gift thanks to North Berwick pupils

Tabled: 17/01/22 Signatories: 3

Kenny MacAskill

Jim Shannon

Margaret Ferrier

That this House congratulates Elena Callander and Ruby Clark, pupils at North Berwick High School, on securing £3,000 for the Bridges Project in Musselburgh through the school's Youth and Philanthropy Initiative competition; understands that groups of pupils had to research a social issue and deliver a presentation; notes that the Bridges Project, which works with young people in East Lothian and Midlothian to help them manage the transition from adolescence to young adulthood, was named the successful entrant thanks to Elena and Ruby's research and presentation; and wishes Elena, Ruby, and everyone involved in the Bridges Project the best of luck with their future.

857Richard Gallacher and Keith Courtney Raise £22,000 for charity

Tabled: 17/01/22 Signatories: 3

Kenny MacAskill

Jim Shannon

Margaret Ferrier

That this House congratulates Richard Gallacher and Keith Courtney on raising an admirable £22,037.93 in aid of the Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation for the Haematology Centre at the Western General Hospital, and St Columba's Hospice, by cycling more than 1,300 miles from Land's End to John O'Groats, and then cycling from one of Scotland's most northerly points back to their home town of Dunbar; understands that Keith was taking part in the fundraiser in memory of his mother Fiona who sadly passed in 2014 after being diagnosed with leukaemia, and Richard was taking part in the fundraiser in memory of his father David who sadly passed in 2015 after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer related to asbestos exposure; notes that the raised money will be split equally between the two causes; and wishes Richard and Keith the best of luck with their futures.

858Diagnosis of Liver Disease

Tabled: 17/01/22 Signatories: 12

Tracey Crouch

Alison Thewliss

Jim Shannon

Sir Mike Penning

Mohammad Yasin

Jonathan Edwards

That this House welcomes the British Liver Trust’s campaign to make early diagnosis of liver disease routine, to be launched in Parliament on Tuesday 26 April 2022; is concerned that the UK is facing a liver disease crisis as a result of the seriously late diagnosis of liver disease across the UK; notes that delays in diagnosis have worsened during the covid-19 outbreak; and calls for urgent action to ensure effective patient pathways are commissioned and implemented.

860War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation payments

Tabled: 18/01/22 Signatories: 36

Owen Thompson

Angela Crawley

Hannah Bardell

Ian Blackford

Marion Fellows

Carol Monaghan

That this House believes that the current process for claiming War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation payments is not fit for purpose and drives many veterans to give up on claims, severely deteriorates many veterans’ mental health, drives many into poverty, and increases the risk of suicides; applauds our veterans for the immense sacrifices they have made and believes that all veterans deserve to be fairly compensated for injury, illness and death caused by their time in service; but is deeply concerned about the mental health impact on veterans of the complexity, lack of transparency and lack of impartiality in the process of putting in a claim, requesting a review of evidence and engaging with the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Tribunal, which results in too many veterans not getting the level of payment they need and then facing complex processes in order to get an increase; believes that serious questions must be answered with regards to the use of Veterans UK medical assessors in assessing claims, in particular the practice of the same medical assessor assessing a veteran’s claim at three separate stages of the process instead of separate assessors being used to ensure impartiality and a range of opinions; is deeply concerned by reports of medical evidence and paperwork being removed from veterans’ evidence bundles by Veterans UK during the tribunal process; and calls on the Government to honour its duty of care to veterans by launching an independent inquiry into the failings of the current system.

864Cervical Cancer Prevention Week

Tabled: 18/01/22 Signatories: 31

Dr Philippa Whitford

Hannah Bardell

Marion Fellows

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

John Nicolson

That this House notes the week commencing 17 January 2022 is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week; recognises that, while not always easy, attending cervical screening allows diagnosis and treatment of Human Papilloma Virus, as well as early detection of Cervical neoplasia, and can therefore save lives; believes that no-one should feel alone or confused when receiving their cervical screening results; and highlights that Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust provides information and support and encourages Members to support that campaign to promote the vital importance of attending cervical screening.

865Miscarriage leave and employment policy

Tabled: 18/01/22 Signatories: 28

Angela Crawley

Hannah Bardell

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

John Nicolson

Paula Barker

That this House believes that the Government should introduce a policy of paid miscarriage leave; is aware that the Government has so far been hesitant to introduce such a policy; notes that, in the UK, two weeks parental bereavement leave and pay is in place after stillbirth, however there is no such support for anyone who has experienced a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy; understands that miscarriage is an extremely traumatic experience and that more support should be provided to families that experience such a loss; considers unacceptable the Government’s position that Statutory Sick Pay or annual leave are adequate compromises for a specific miscarriage leave provision; recognises that the provision of paid miscarriage leave is in line with the need to develop a more proactive approach to workplace health and wellbeing as expressed in the Taylor review of modern working practices; assesses that this issue should be viewed under the Taylor review’s ambition of fair and decent treatment in the workplace, including health and wellbeing protections in employment law which serves the wider public interest; and calls on the Government to include paid miscarriage leave in its upcoming Employment Bill.

866East Lothian rowers cross the Atlantic in third place

Tabled: 18/01/22 Signatories: 6

Kenny MacAskill

Jim Shannon

Margaret Ferrier

Douglas Chapman

Joanna Cherry

Ben Lake

That this House congratulates Ian Baird, Duncan Hughes, Ross McKinney, Fraser Potter and Clive Rooney of North Berwick Coastal Rowing Club, known as Five in a Row, for finishing in third place in the 2021 Talisker Atlantic Challenge; understands that the five men completed the 3000 mile journey from La Gomera in Spain to Antigua in the Caribbean in 36 days, 3 hours and 33 minutes, each taking turns to have two hours of sleep; notes that the group finished third out of thirty six boats, and describe the journey as the hardest thing they have ever done, as falling from the boat would have been fatal as the craft could not be turned around fast enough to find a crew member in the darkness; commends the fundraising efforts that the group made to get them to the starting line, with additional funds raised to be given to the charity Reverse Rett; and wishes the group the best of luck in their futures.

870Campaign to introduce a PumpWatch body for fair fuel prices

Tabled: 19/01/22 Signatories: 4

Robert Halfon

Sir Mike Penning

Sir Greg Knight

Margaret Ferrier

That this House recognises the significant financial impact on the motorists from retailers failing to reflect the fall in oil prices at the pump; understands that when oil prices rise companies often pass that increase on to motorists, but when they fall, the saving is not passed on; further recognises the action the Government has taken to freeze fuel duty for twelve consecutive years saving the average motorist £15 every time they fill up; notes the success of the campaign group FairFuelUK and Howard Cox in saving motorists billions of pounds; and calls upon the Government to take further steps to form a PumpWatch body to ensure fair prices at the pumps.

871Holocaust Memorial Day

Tabled: 19/01/22 Signatories: 24

Ian Paisley

Ian Mearns

Sir Mike Penning

Jim Shannon

Hywel Williams

Chris Law

That this House notes that on 27 January 2022 the UK will observe Holocaust Memorial Day marking the 77th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where an estimated 1.1 million Jewish men, women and children were murdered; commemorates the six million victims of the Holocaust and the millions of other victims of Nazi persecution; further notes that the House pays tribute to the commitment of Holocaust survivors and Kindertransport refugees who share their experiences with young people across the country; acknowledges the importance of the Holocaust Educational Trust's work in schools across the UK and in particular the Lessons from Auschwitz Project, which has so far given more than 41,000 students and teachers the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau; welcomes the establishment of a permanent National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre adjacent to Parliament; pays tribute to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust for organising the national Holocaust Memorial Day event; and urges all Right hon. and hon. Members to observe this day so that the appalling events of the Holocaust are always understood by future generations.

873Recognition of Ballantrae village as a UNESCO Biosphere Community

Tabled: 20/01/22 Signatories: 6

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

Patrick Grady

Marion Fellows

Margaret Ferrier

Steven Bonnar

That this House congratulates the village of Ballantrae in South Ayrshire on becoming the sixth Biosphere Community in Galloway and Southern Ayrshire’s UNESCO Biosphere, and the first in South Ayrshire, which recognises the village as a destination for visitors from home and abroad who are seeking sustainable, slow tourism experiences on Scotland’s UNESCO Trail; notes that in becoming a Biosphere Community, the people of Ballantrae have committed to preserve the area’s natural environment and wildlife, promote and celebrate their rich cultural heritage and local produce, contribute to the health and wellbeing of the village and develop knowledge of environmental issues; and commends them for that commitment.

874Fair pay and conditions for rail cleaners

Tabled: 20/01/22 Signatories: 15

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Ian Mearns

John McDonnell

Richard Burgon

Jim Shannon

Grahame Morris

That this House supports cleaners who are members of the RMT union employed by Churchill Contract Services who are balloting for industrial action in support of better pay, sick pay and travel facilities; notes that these cleaners, who work to clean trains and stations in the South East, including on Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern and Southeastern train services, High Speed 1 and Eurostar, have worked throughout the pandemic, at risk to themselves, to ensure that rail travel is safe and help keep essential services running; further notes that passenger surveys consistently stress the importance of cleanliness in restoring confidence in public transport, making clear that cleaning is an essential service; is concerned to learn that many Churchill cleaners are only paid the legal minimum wage, others earn only £9.90 per hour and none receive company sick pay; is shocked to learn that 61 per cent say that they struggle to make ends meet while 69 per cent report having gone into work while sick because they do not get sick pay; is deeply disappointed that Churchill Contract Services have failed to make a satisfactory offer to these cleaners in spite of paying a £12 million dividend last year; and calls on Churchill to meet the cleaners’ claims and for the clients, including on Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern and Southeastern trains services, High Speed 1 and Eurostar to help facilitate a settlement that will give cleaners the respect and dignity they deserve.

878Tractor runs and HMRC

Tabled: 20/01/22 Signatories: 8

Mr Alistair Carmichael [R]

Jim Shannon

Sir Greg Knight

Hywel Williams

Ben Lake

Liz Saville Roberts

That this House recognises and welcomes the Tractor Runs organised by farmers in rural communities throughout the country around the Christmas and New Year period; congratulates all those taking part for their creativity and the good cheer that they brought to many people during the darkest period of the year; further welcomes the money raised for charities by these events; notes in particular the achievement of the organisers of the Orkney Tractor Run in raising more than £44,000 for CLAN Cancer Support Orkney and Kirkwall Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre; is dismayed that HM Revenue and Customs are reported to be insisting that, in the future, participants in such events will be obliged to use white diesel with full duty being paid on it instead of the agricultural red diesel on which agricultural vehicles normally are fuelled; and calls on HMRC to classify Tractor Runs as an agricultural activity so that they may continue to bring much needed cheer to farming communities in the depths of winter.

880Visit Inverness Loch Ness

Tabled: 21/01/22 Signatories: 3

Drew Hendry

Alyn Smith

Steven Bonnar

That this House congratulates Visit Inverness Loch Ness (VILN) on becoming the first Carbon Neutral Business Improvement District in the UK; recognises the work put in by VILN and their partnership with Trees for Life, aiming to plant a tree for every ton of C02 emissions; commends their commitment to actioning all climate goals within 12 months; and congratulates them on the development of their own carbon tracker, set to monitor their footprint each month.

882Retirement of Alex Meikle at East Dunbartonshire Voluntary Action

Tabled: 21/01/22 Signatories: 2

Amy Callaghan

Stuart C McDonald

That this House congratulates Alex Meikle on his retirement as Chief Officer of East Dunbartonshire Voluntary Action after over three-and-a-half years at the post; notes Mr Meikle's contribution to supporting voluntary and third sectors in this role; further notes the tremendous work done by EDVA and Mr Meikle over the course of the covid-19 pandemic to assist those in need; recognises the leadership that Mr Meikle has shown in his time as Chief Officer; understands that EDVA continues to play an integral role in the wider community of East Dunbartonshire; thanks Mr Meikle for his professionalism and outstanding service to the community over the years; and wishes him all the best with his future endeavours.