Contents

Published: Friday 27 May 2022

Early Day Motions tabled on Thursday 26 May 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

107Dr al-Singace’s hunger strike and political prisoners in Bahrain

Tabled: 26/05/22 Signatories: 1

Wendy Chamberlain

That this House is deeply concerned by the ongoing hunger strike of 60-year-old human rights defender and academic Dr Abduljalil al-Singace in Bahrain; notes EDM 578 and reiterates the alarm that his hunger strike began on 8 July 2021 and has exceeded 300 days; expresses concern that despite al-Singace being hospitalised since 18 July 2021 and losing well over 25kg, he has been subjected to deliberate denial of adequate medical care, has not been visited by his doctor for over three months and has not received results from an MRI taken in October 2021; notes that al-Singace is protesting the confiscation of four years’ worth of his handwritten apolitical research; condemns the Bahraini government’s justification of the confiscation of his research and failure to seek a timely resolution; decries al-Singace’s life sentence for his peaceful leading role in Bahrain’s 2011 pro-democracy uprising; unreservedly condemns al-Singace’s torture in 2011 by Bahraini officials, as documented by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry; echoes the consensus of international calls from the human rights community, UN experts, global academics, and parliamentarians for al-Singace’s release; calls upon the Government to urgently press for the return of al-Singace’s research, impose Magnitsky Act Sanctions on those responsible for his unlawful imprisonment, including Interior Minister Rashid Al-Khalifa; and calls for his immediate and unconditional release, as well as that of the approximate 1,400 political prisoners in Bahrain, including Hassan Mushaima, Sheikh Ali Salman, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Sheikh Mohamed Habib AlMuqdad, Abdulwahab Husain and Ali Al-Hajee.

108Ehlers-Danlos syndrome Awareness Month 2022

Tabled: 26/05/22 Signatories: 1

David Linden

That this House supports Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) Awareness Month 2022 which takes place throughout May 2022; thanks all of the charities and organisations which work to support those living with EDS or hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD), their families and those who raise awareness; recognises the hard work that is carried out by organisations including Ehlers-Danlos Support UK which endeavour to improve the quality of life for those with EDS or HSD and to educate the medical community; and calls on the Government to assist and support research to further understand EDS and HSD.

109Networks of Wellbeing & Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Award

Tabled: 26/05/22 Signatories: 1

Richard Thomson

That this House congratulates Huntly-based Networks of Wellbeing on being awarded the prestigious Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award for 2022; notes that the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme recognises those who demonstrate or advocate support to the Armed Forces community and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant; understands that Silver Award winners must meet certain criteria, including employing at least one individual from the Armed Forces community, actively ensuring that their workforce is aware of their positive policies, demonstrating support to mobilisations of reservists and providing at least five days’ additional leave for training; and commends Networks of Wellbeing for the range of services offered to veterans, their families and carers.

110John Wright Sports Centre Anniversary

Tabled: 26/05/22 Signatories: 1

Dr Lisa Cameron

That this House congratulates the John Wright Sports Centre on celebrating its 50th anniversary since its official opening on 18th March 1972, celebrates John Wright, also known as Mr East Kilbride, who the centre was named after who spent his life caring for and supporting the people of East Kilbride and acknowledges the accomplishments of the centre in welcoming over 7.5 million visitors and providing a range of services to the local community from local sports teams to international events.

111Recognition for NHS Lanarkshire

Tabled: 26/05/22 Signatories: 1

Dr Lisa Cameron

That this House recognises the outstanding work of the staff of NHS Lanarkshire in overcoming the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic and continue to work tirelessly every day to address the backlog; notes the hard work of the back office staff who supplied PEE, ensured O2 supplies were available and rapidly mobilised remote working technology for GPs and other key health care staff; commends all those staff who responded to the fire at Hairmyres Hospital in the midst of the pandemic; applauds all those staff providing well-being and psychological support to their colleagues; thanks staff within NHS Lanarkshire for the passionate level of care provided to all patients and families within the communities they serve; and acknowledges the amazing spirit of partnership across the service.

112Get me home safely campaign

Tabled: 26/05/22 Signatories: 20

Zarah Sultana

Rebecca Long Bailey

Apsana Begum

Kate Hollern

Charlotte Nichols

Rachael Maskell

That this House notes that shift work is widespread in many industries, especially hospitality, and can often entail late-night working; further notes that many workers, especially women, are increasingly worried about their safety travelling to and from work at night; believes that while employers may feel their duty of care to staff ends when an employee finishes a shift, they also need to take into consideration journeys home, especially during unsocial hours; is appalled at the weakness of enforcement of the law against sexual assault, including up-skirting, on public transport; insists that more trained staff and stronger enforcement of the law against sexual assault and harassment on public transport is urgently needed; supports calls for the municipal ownership of buses in order to lower prices and improve service provision, especially for night-time and off-peak services; welcomes Unite the union's Get Me Home Safely campaign, which calls on employers to take all reasonable steps to ensure workers are able to get home safely from work at night; calls on local governments and licensing boards to change regulations to make free transport home for staff a prerequisite for new liquor licences; and calls on the Government to bring forward national minimum standards for taxis and private hire as per the recommendations of the Task and Finish group and to extend employers' duty of care to include safe transport home policies for all workers.

113A cross-party Commission on Levelling Up

Tabled: 26/05/22 Signatories: 1

Jonathan Edwards

That this House recognises the grotesque geographical wealth inequalities that exist within the UK; believes that addressing regional economic disparity will require a long-term commitment that exceeds one term of government; notes that all flagship funds announced by the Government to date only runs until 2024-25; further notes that capital support for infrastructure projects require long-term multi-annual commitments; acknowledges that following the reunification of Germany, the country committed to a long-term geographical wealth equalisation programme, investing over 2 trillion Euro at an average cost of €71bn per annum and that while this sum included spending on benefits and pensions, 21 per cent was spent on deliberate financial equalisation, 13 per cent on infrastructure investment and 9 per cent on business support measures; and calls for the Government to establish a cross-party commission on the question of Levelling Up to secure long-term cross-party support for geographically rebalancing the economy.

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.

41Hunting on Ministry of Defence land

Tabled: 16/05/22 Signatories: 17

Dave Doogan

Douglas Chapman

Rachael Maskell

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

John McDonnell

Angela Crawley

That this House notes with concern that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) continues to grant licences for trail and drag hunts on MoD land, including 248 hunts over 13 MoD sites in a single year; notes that leaked footage shows the Hunting Office and the Masters of Fox Hounds Association describing trail and drag hunts as a smokescreen; notes that trail and drag hunts can be, and are used to disguise the illegal and barbaric practice of fox hunting; welcomes the National Trust and Natural Resources Wales’s decisions to ban trail and drag hunting; and calls on the Government to end the licencing of trail and drag hunts on MoD land.

42Ukrainian forces in Azovstal

Tabled: 16/05/22 Signatories: 12

Patricia Gibson

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Angela Crawley

Chris Stephens

That this House both recognises and salutes the heroism and fortitude of the Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers fighting for their country in the Azovstal steel works at Mariupol; understands that the Azovstal defenders are trapped, starving and lacking in fresh water, ammunition, medicine, adequate heating, sanitation and heavy weapons, with several hundred reputed to be wounded, whilst the defenders suffer from almost continuous bombardment; further understands that the defenders of Azovstal fight on without hope of relief or rescue, knowing that their continued resistance prevents the deployment of their Russian attackers elsewhere against Ukraine; acknowledges the anguish of the parents, siblings, wives, partners and children of Azovstal’s Ukrainian fighters, who it understands fear for their loved ones and who want them to return home safely; and believes that, while words like hero and heroism have been devalued over the years through their misuse, the courage and determination of Azovstal’s defenders shows the true meaning of those words, as they battle on in pursuit of a free and independent Ukraine.

72Specialist Huntington’s Disease Services

Tabled: 17/05/22 Signatories: 35

Hilary Benn

Jonathan Edwards

Wera Hobhouse

Hywel Williams

Liz Saville Roberts

Ben Lake

That this House notes that Huntington’s Disease is a rare, hereditary and incurable neurological condition that slowly robs patients of their ability to walk, talk, eat, drink, make decisions and care for themselves; notes that a University of Aberdeen study, published in the Journal of Neurology, highlights that the number of Huntington’s Disease cases in northern Scotland has increased by almost 50 per cent over the last 30 years and understands that there are likely to have been similar increases throughout the rest of the United Kingdom; further notes that the Scottish Huntington’s Association, the Huntington’s Disease Association of Northern Ireland and the Huntington’s Disease Association England and Wales have confirmed that Huntington’s Disease specialist staff are stretched to the limit, having had to deal with a rising number of cases without a commensurate increase in resources, with some areas having no specialist services at all; notes the often intolerable burden placed upon those caring for loved ones with Huntington’s Disease; and calls on health and social care providers throughout the UK to expand specialist Huntington’s Disease services and access to mental health and other essential support in order to help those living with Huntington’s Disease and their families in the community.

75Changes to Universal Credit

Tabled: 18/05/22 Signatories: 17

Chris Stephens

Jonathan Edwards

Apsana Begum

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

Hywel Williams

This House notes that Universal Credit payments are not keeping pace with rising living costs; notes that deductions taken from those payments, for example to repay advances, leave households on low incomes struggling to afford food and other essentials; recognises the action taken by the Department for Work and Pensions in 2021 to extend the repayment period for Advances from 12 to 24 months and to reduce the maximum rate of deductions from 30% of the standard allowance to 25%; and calls on the Department to immediately take further action by reducing the maximum rate to 10% again, in recognition of the fact that deductions are taken from benefits already set at subsistence levels.

76Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Tabled: 18/05/22 Signatories: 9

Mr Virendra Sharma

Jonathan Edwards

Mohammad Yasin

Jim Shannon

Chris Stephens

Neale Hanvey

That this House recognises the importance of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919 for its importance as a turning point in the history of the Raj and British Empire in India; notes that the centenary of this event passed without a commitment to a public apology; further recognises that former Prime Minister, David Cameron, referred to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre as a deeply shameful act; further notes that this event does not represent modern British values; urges the Government to ensure that British children are taught about this shameful period and that modern British values welcome the right to peaceful protest; and further urges the Government formally to apologise in the House and inaugurate a memorial day to commemorate this event.

77Killing of Palestinian-American reporter Shireen Abu Aqla

Tabled: 18/05/22 Signatories: 16

Mr Alistair Carmichael

Caroline Lucas

Jonathan Edwards

Hywel Williams

Ben Lake

Liz Saville Roberts

That this House condemns unreservedly the killing of Palestinian-American Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Aqla in the Jenin refugee camp while reporting on a raid by Israeli forces; notes that last year UNESCO recorded fifty-five deaths of journalists while working; recognises that Shireen was an experienced and popular journalist across the Middle East and in Palestine in particular and that her loss will be deeply felt by colleagues and others across the region; notes that Al Jazeera producer Ali Samoudi was also injured in the shooting; calls on the UK Government to make representations to the Government of Israel to allow an independent investigation into the shooting so that those responsible can be held to account; and condemns further the violence inflicted on mourners at the funeral of Shireen Abu Aqla, described by the leaders of fifteen Christian denominations as a violent intrusion by Israeli police.

81Bonnyrigg Rose promotion to the SPFL

Tabled: 19/05/22 Signatories: 7

Owen Thompson

Allan Dorans

Chris Law

Chris Stephens

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Jim Shannon

That this House congratulates Bonnyrigg Rose FC on their historic promotion to the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) following last week's victory over Cowdenbeath; notes that the 141 year-old, Midlothian-based club will now be playing SPFL League 2 football next season for the first time after a 1-0 win at Central Park sealed a 4-0 aggregate victory over Cowdenbeath in the pyramid play-off final; commends the club's players, management and supporters for this historic promotion; and wishes Bonnyrigg Rose the very best of luck in the games to come.

86Mobility support for terminally ill children under three

Tabled: 19/05/22 Signatories: 14

Ed Davey

Hywel Williams

Ben Lake

Liz Saville Roberts

Wendy Chamberlain

Layla Moran

That this House notes that children under three are currently excluded from receiving the mobility component of the DLA; recognises that mobility is about more than just the ability to walk, in line with the mobility condition for children with visual impairments or autism that states they require substantially more guidance or supervision than a nondisabled child of the same age; acknowledges that children under three can still face significant challenges to their mobility, like relying on big and heavy equipment that is difficult to move; commends the great work of the Family Fund Mobility Support scheme in supporting families with disabled or seriously ill child under three to meet their mobility needs; and calls on the Government to extend the special rules DLA mobility to cover terminally ill infants under the age of three.

88Detention of Tamil refugees in the British Indian Ocean Territory

Tabled: 23/05/22 Signatories: 12

Ed Davey

Sarah Olney

Munira Wilson

Christine Jardine

Jonathan Edwards

Jim Shannon

That this House acknowledges that at least 89 Eelam Tamils, including 20 children, are being detained indefinitely on the British Indian Ocean Territory Diego Garcia after their boat was intercepted by British military; recognises that these refugees cannot return to Sri Lanka, where they have faced persecution as Tamils and in some cases even torture; is aware that 42 of the refugees have gone on a hunger strike to protest their situation, which is having a catastrophic impact on their mental health; notes with concern that British authorities are not offering legal counsel or assessing asylum claims on Diego Garcia, despite reports the group has made clear they are seeking international protection; emphasises the UK’s international legal commitments to allow anyone to apply for asylum; and calls on the Government to provide enabling support to allow the Tamil refugees on Diego Garcia to claim asylum in a safe country of their choosing.

91Queens Park FC promotion to the Scottish Championship

Tabled: 23/05/22 Signatories: 7

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Douglas Chapman

Christine Jardine

Jim Shannon

Allan Dorans

Alison Thewliss

That this House congratulates Queens Park Football Club, Scotland's oldest team, the players, staff and supporters on the club's promotion to the Scottish Championship as play-off winners; applauds the club in extending its own and the city of Glasgow's proud history of footballing success; and wishes Queens Park the very best of luck in the games to come.

93Cape Holdings and asbestos research

Tabled: 23/05/22 Signatories: 12

Ian Lavery

Jon Trickett

Christine Jardine

Jonathan Edwards

Jim Shannon

Neale Hanvey

That this House notes the court case which resulted in Cape International Holdings, one of the world’s largest asbestos manufacturers, being forced to publish documentation revealing their cover up of the dangers of asbestos, and activity lobbying the Government to water down exposure limits and warnings; is concerned that Cape is a major contributor to the mesothelioma epidemic in the UK, where rates are the worst in the world, and must be held accountable for the many lives affected; and supports the call by the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum and the Trades Union Congress for Cape Holdings PLC to make a £10 million donation towards the funding of mesothelioma research.

94Baha’i community in Qatar

Tabled: 23/05/22 Signatories: 5

Jim Shannon

Margaret Ferrier

Neale Hanvey

Alison Thewliss

Kirsten Oswald

That this House notes the increasingly precarious situation of the Baha’i community in Qatar; expresses concern over reports that several Baha’is have been subject to administrative deportation and blacklisting from employment; notes the annex to the March 2022 report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the alarming findings of the report as regards the treatment of the Baha’i community in Qatar; recalls the strong ties between the UK and Qatar, and the recent visit to this country of His Excellency, the Emir of Qatar; and calls on the Government to encourage the Qatari authorities to review Section D of the Special Rapporteur’s Annex, containing recommendations, and urge the Qataris to resolve the legal status of both Baha’i citizens and residents living in the Emirate.

96Papers, minutes and correspondence relating to Sue Gray Report

Tabled: 23/05/22 Signatories: 17

Wendy Chamberlain

Ed Davey

Jamie Stone

Wera Hobhouse

Helen Morgan

Mr Alistair Carmichael

That there be laid before this House the minutes from or any notes of any meeting or meetings or any written or electronic correspondence between the Prime Minister and Sue Gray since the start of her investigation into alleged gatherings on government premises during Covid restrictions.

98Storage of US nuclear weapons in the UK

Tabled: 24/05/22 Signatories: 10

Kirsten Oswald

Caroline Lucas

Douglas Chapman

Jonathan Edwards

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Allan Dorans

That this House is deeply concerned that the United Kingdom has been added to the United States’ list of nuclear weapons storage site locations in Europe and that, according to information released by the United States' government, these storage sites are being upgraded; is concerned that this signals a change in the nuclear status of RAF Lakenheath, and that, having been removed in 2008, US nuclear weapons may have already been returned to the base or that the base will receive nuclear weapons in the future; condemns the refusal of the Ministry of Defence to comment on this information to members of this House; notes that RAF Lakenheath, whilst owned by the Ministry of Defence, is run by the United States Air Force; further notes that storage of another country’s nuclear weapons on UK soil puts UK citizens at greater risk of nuclear attack; and calls on the Government to decline to host US nuclear weapons at RAF Lakenheath and to use all possible diplomatic efforts to de-escalate current nuclear tensions.

99Cost of living

Tabled: 24/05/22 Signatories: 8

Jon Trickett

Jonathan Edwards

Kim Johnson

Jon Cruddas

Ms Diane Abbott

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

That this House expresses its deepest concerns about the explosion in the cost of living and its impact on millions of working people across the country, with inflation now at nine per cent, wages stagnating or declining and the cost of energy, food, transport, childcare and many other essentials rising at an alarmingly rapid rate; notes that the situation has become so desperate for millions of people that we are now facing a social emergency; acknowledges this has been compounded by global forces such as the war in Ukraine and the pandemic, but reminds the Government that failure to help people with the cost of living totally undermines any serious attempt to level up our country; and calls on the Government to take radical action in the form of a Marshall Plan style investment scheme to invest in decent jobs and pay, public services, research and development, infrastructure and energy, particularly in held back areas, which could be paid for by taxing wealth, levelling up taxes on capital gains, dividends and other forms of wealth so as to be in line with at least the basic rate of income tax, and taking action on offshore loopholes and clamping down on tax avoidance.

101Effect of standing charges on vulnerable consumers

Tabled: 25/05/22 Signatories: 9

Patricia Gibson

Alison Thewliss

Jim Shannon

Allan Dorans

Hywel Williams

Liz Saville Roberts

That this House acknowledges the increase in the energy price cap, has seen household energy costs rising exponentially from 1 April 2022; notes the standing charges applied daily to consumers is also rising, by at least 80 per cent in most cases; understands that this charge is applied regardless of the amount of power used, meaning that consumers have no control over this aspect of their increasing energy bills; believes that much of the increase in standing charges is as a result of the failure of 30 energy suppliers in 2020, with the cost of guaranteeing customers’ balances being added to the bills of all households; condemns the negligent policymaking and bad practice within the industry which has resulted in many energy suppliers going out of business; recognises that these increases will impact the poorest and most vulnerable the most, with prepayment customers facing the biggest increases; further notes the discriminatory regional variations in standing charges, with consumers in Scotland paying among the highest charges despite being an exporter of energy to the rest of the UK; and urges the UK Government to either cap or scrap these charges to ensure the poorest customers are not paying the most for the mistakes made in regulating the energy market.

102Artificial Intelligence in the entertainment industry

Tabled: 25/05/22 Signatories: 6

Claire Hanna

Alison Thewliss

Jim Shannon

Hywel Williams

Liz Saville Roberts

Ben Lake

That this House supports Equity’s campaign, Stop AI Stealing the Show, which seeks to strengthen the rights of performers and other creative workers in response to the rapid development of artificial intelligence across the entertainment industry; acknowledges that whilst there are benefits to the use of artificial intelligence for those working in the audio and audio-visual sector if it is used ethically and responsibly, employment opportunities for those in the sector are being negatively affected; further notes that the UK’s outdated intellectual property framework has left performers vulnerable to abuse and exploitation; calls on the UK Government to ensure that protecting and enhancing the rights for creative workers is a key component of the National AI Strategy in order to make the UK a global AI and creative superpower; and further urges the Government to update the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 so that intellectual property rights for performers includes AI-made performance synthetisation.

103Access to cash

Tabled: 25/05/22 Signatories: 5

Jon Trickett

Jim Shannon

Hywel Williams

Liz Saville Roberts

Ben Lake

That this House notes with concern the latest figures which show that the number of bank branches in the Wakefield District has declined by a third since 2015 and that the number of free ATM machines has been cut by 18 since 2018 to March this year; notes that recent research by Which? shows this problem is also increasing across the country with 4,685 high street branches having closed since 2015 and 12,178 free-to-use cash machines having closed since 2018; and calls on the Government to tackle this problem which makes life difficult for people across the country, especially those more isolated or vulnerable and to do more to support those who are becoming more socially excluded by such closures.

104Protecting the Green Belt

Tabled: 25/05/22 Signatories: 2

Jon Trickett

Jim Shannon

That this House notes with concern that the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill does not mention the safeguarding of Green Belt land; highlights the fact that many Local Plans contain proposals to build on Green Belt land by bringing it under the greenfield designation, including in two areas proposed in the Wakefield District; notes that access to green spaces not only enhances quality of life, but also helps with mental health, tackling obesity and improving general health; further notes with interest calls by charities and campaign organisations to make provision for a “wild belt” where wildlife can thrive and be protected; and calls on the Government to bring forward robust rules regarding the protection and extension of the green belt and, whilst acknowledging the need for housing, to invest in greener new builds by increasing insulation and energy efficiency in new homes.

105The imprisonment of Alaa Abd el-Fattah

Tabled: 25/05/22 Signatories: 9

Layla Moran

Alison Thewliss

Caroline Lucas

Jim Shannon

Alan Brown

Kirsten Oswald

That this House condemns the imprisonment of Alaa Abd el-Fattah for eight of the last nine years in Egypt; notes that as of 26 May, Alaa is on his 55th day of hunger strike; recalls that Alaa is a human rights activist and has been identified by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience; expresses its concern at the conditions in which Alaa is being held, which includes having no access to exercise, no windows and no sense of time of day; notes that Alaa is a British citizen; reaffirms that Alaa therefore has a right to full consular support from the UK government; that the Egyptian authorities have denied such access; expresses its deep concern that Alaa's family have not yet been offered a meeting with the Foreign Secretary despite the high profile nature of his case and requests that they meet with her; notes with concern that the UK Government have not publicly called for Alaa’s immediate and unconditional release; recalls that given Alaa's British citizenship, a diplomatic deal to bring him to the UK is possible; and therefore urges the Government to meet with Alaa's family and make representations to the Egyptian government so Alaa's immediate and unconditional release is secured.

106UN adopts World Seagrass Day

Tabled: 25/05/22 Signatories: 8

Douglas Chapman

Alison Thewliss

Jim Shannon

Allan Dorans

Hywel Williams

Liz Saville Roberts

That this House notes the recent decision of the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution from the government of Sri Lanka to recognise March 1st as World Seagrass Day; welcomes this initiative as an opportunity to raise awareness of seagrass restoration and to highlight the importance of promoting action to protect and enhance vital habitats across the world; further welcomes community seagrass projects such as Restoration Forth which has engaged with academics, charities such as WWF, and local coastal communities to create a colloboratory blueprint for restoration of our blue ecosystems.