Contents

Published: Tuesday 29 November 2022

Early Day Motions tabled on Monday 28 November 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

615Turkish airstrikes against Kurds in Syria

Tabled: 28/11/22 Signatories: 1

Chris Stephens

This House notes with concern the intensive Turkish air assault that has hit Kurdish majority towns across north and northeast Syria which began at midnight on 19 November 2022, reportedly having killed 13 civilians and injuring many others; further notes that basic civilian infrastructure was being targeted in those strikes; notes that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have both strongly condemned the attack; is deeply concerned that the Turkish Government has allocated responsibility for the attack to the PKK and the SDF; notes that the Turkish Government has frequently asserted a policy of seeking to control a band of Syrian territory adjacent to the Syria-Turkey border; notes that the US State Department stated that it was communicating with Ankara publicly and privately to stop those attacks; calls on the Foreign Secretary to make representations to counterparts in the Turkish Government with a view to immediately ceasing the airstrikes which are in breach of international law; and further calls on the Government to call publicly for an immediate cessation of such airstrikes.

616Release of Ales Bialiatski and Belarusian political prisoners

Tabled: 28/11/22 Signatories: 1

Tony Lloyd

That this House congratulates Ales Bialiatski on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2022 for his tireless and self-sacrificial work for human rights in Belarus; notes with concern that Ales is unable to collect his award because he has now served more than 500 days in detention but is yet to be tried; highlights that Viasna, the human rights organisation Ales is founder and chairperson of, has now declared there to be over 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus; and calls on the illegitimate regime of Aleksandr Lukashenko to release Ales and all other political prisoners, and start the process of holding free and fair elections in Belarus.

617Out of hours care for people with a terminal illness (No. 2)

Tabled: 28/11/22 Signatories: 1

Sir George Howarth

That this House notes with concern evidence from Marie Curie’s latest Better End of Life Report published in November 2022, which shows significant gaps in out-of-hours services in the community for people at the end of life and their carers, and the link between not being able to access services at home during nights and weekends and emergency department attendances during these periods; recognises that each year around 780,000 emergency out-of-hours visits to A&E occur for people approaching the end of life and that 24/7 palliative care telephone advice lines can play a significant role in meeting the need for out-of-hours support, thereby reducing ambulance use, A&E attendance and hospital admissions; commends The Integrated Mersey Palliative Care Team (IMPaCT) designated 24/7 palliative care advice line which means that rather than having to ring 999, a single contact number connects people with a terminal illness and their carers to professionals with specialist palliative care expertise who can provide the advice they need on managing symptoms, controlling pain, access to medicines and support at home at the time when it is needed; and notes that 69 per cent of UK areas surveyed do not consistently provide a designated 24/7 palliative care advice line for terminally ill people and their carers and, of these, over one in four areas surveyed had no such advice line at all.

618Charitable giving and Christmas 2022

Tabled: 28/11/22 Signatories: 1

Jim Shannon

That this House notes with pride the generosity of charity organisations over the Christmas period; further notes the countless charities who go above and beyond at Christmas time, including The Salvation Army, Oxfam Unwrapped, The Trussel Group, Samaritans Purse and Make-A-Wish; underlines the current cost of living crisis, where thousands will be expected to ask for practical support to cope with financial hardship this winter; highlights the support offered by charities, including counselling, food parcels and offering somewhere to sleep; further underlines the close relationship between the Church and charities in providing key support for people this Christmas; understands that this is not a pleasant time for everyone; and thanks charitable organisations for the work they do in local communities for families who struggle at Christmas.

61916 Days of activism against gender-based violence campaign

Tabled: 28/11/22 Signatories: 1

David Linden

That this House supports 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence which is an annual international campaign which commenced this year on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and will run until Human Rights Day on 10 December; recognises that violence against women and girls is the most pervasive breach of human rights worldwide; notes with regret that violence against women and girls is estimated to affect more than one in three women, a figure that has remained largely unchanged over the last decade; commends the objectives of the campaign which include calling for global action to increase awareness, galvanising advocacy efforts and sharing knowledge and innovations to end violence against women and girls once and for all; and advocates for all to take part in the 16 Days of Activism and amplify the important work of women’s rights activists.

620Welsh slate quarrying

Tabled: 28/11/22 Signatories: 1

Liz Saville Roberts

That this House commemorates the vital importance of slate quarrying for the history and heritage of Wales; notes that people in Wales have been quarrying slate for over 18,000 years, to build the Roman fort in Segontium in Caernarfon as well as Conwy Castle in the 13th century, before producing over four-fifths of all British slate during the 1870s; acknowledges that Welsh slate is particularly important to North Wales, where the slate landscape was awarded the coveted status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2021; and calls for the devolution of the aggregates levy, so that the people of Wales can fully benefit from this cherished national resource.

621Campaign for justice for the victims of the Bhopal gas leak

Tabled: 28/11/22 Signatories: 18

Navendu Mishra

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Mr Virendra Sharma

Ben Lake

Chris Law

Jim Shannon

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; 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; commends the work of the late journalist Mr Rajkumar Keswani who reported on inadequate safety measures at the plant several years before the disaster; further notes that current owners, Dow Chemicals, need to urgently rectify the environmental damage and properly compensate the victims, survivors and their families; commends the work of Indian civil society groups, the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, the TUC, UNISON and Action for Bhopal in campaigning on this issue; and calls for those responsible to be brought to justice so that the victims who have been waiting 38 years for justice finally receive closure.

622Plastics

Tabled: 28/11/22 Signatories: 21

Geraint Davies

Rosie Duffield

Tony Lloyd

Caroline Lucas

Tim Farron

John McNally

That this House notes that according to the UN there will be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050; calls for the Government to publish a strategy for promoting a circular economy in respect of plastics, including setting targets and measures for the elimination and recycling of single-use plastics; calls for Secretary of State for Environment to establish a task force to develop proposals to encourage the use of reuse and refill models of packaging, to report annually to Parliament on the implementation of the strategy, to ensure that UK targets for the elimination and recycling of plastic packaging are more demanding than equivalent targets set by the European Union, and to require manufacturers and retailers to pay for the cost of recycling plastic; calls for Government to set annual targets for reducing the quantity of plastic waste that is incinerated; and calls for the Secretary of State of the Environment to publish a plan for banning the export of plastic waste by 2027, make provision for the purpose of reducing the cost of recycling plastic, including measures to encourage the standardisation of plastic packaging, give powers to the Office for Environmental Protection to enforce legislation relating to plastic pollution, and make provision for the purpose of encouraging the development of sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging; and calls for the Government to publish a plan for the use of fiscal policy to incentivise investment in recycling infrastructure and sustainable behaviour by consumers and retailers.

623Craigie High School, Dundee

Tabled: 28/11/22 Signatories: 1

Stewart Hosie

This House congratulates Craigie High School, in Dundee, for winning the Safety Groups UK Award for Development Through Education - and the Scottish Chamber of Safety Silver Punch Bowl - for a project featuring its Watch your Back video as part of its LOcHER project; notes that the judges were highly impressed with the way the team took a traditional health and safety issue in back injury to create an enjoyable and effective educational process through a video and music lyrics that can be shared more widely to leave a lasting impact; further notes that it was also Highly Commended under the Innovation Award category and welcomes the fact that these awards recognised safety groups that have involved learners of any age in an initiative which demonstrates effective educational engagement to advance health and safety.

624Protection of patient data (No. 2)

Tabled: 28/11/22 Signatories: 1

John McDonnell

That this House notes that the National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care has written to all Integrated Care Systems, now running local health partnerships, warning that organisations could be processing confidential patient information without ensuring that the processing does not breach confidentiality; considers that this vindicates the refusal by Dr Shashikanth to share his patients' records with the local Primary Care Network, complying with his patients' wishes, despite the unacceptable pressures put upon him to do so by some within the NHS; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to guarantee the right of general practitioners to abide by their patients' wishes to determine whom their data is shared with.

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.

581Protests in Iran

Tabled: 14/11/22 Signatories: 37

Nadia Whittome

Claudia Webbe

Jim Shannon

Christine Jardine

Caroline Lucas

Ben Lake

That this House notes that protests against the Iranian government have been taking place for the last two months in Iran following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini; further notes with alarm that the Iranian authorities have killed more than 300 people and detained thousands of others in response; understands that hundreds of people have been charged for their participation in the protests, with at least one person being sentenced to death so far; reaffirms its solidarity with pro-democracy and human rights activists, and its opposition to violent repression and the use of death sentences; urges the Government to call for the UN Human Rights Council to establish an international investigative and accountability mechanism to collect, consolidate, preserve, and analyse evidence of the most serious crimes under international law committed in Iran; and calls on the Government to commit to exercising universal jurisdiction to criminally investigate and prosecute Iranian officials suspected of criminal responsibility for crimes under international law and to strengthen Magnitsky-style sanctions on officials involved in human rights abuses.

596Safe passage for refugees

Tabled: 21/11/22 Signatories: 38

Olivia Blake

Claudia Webbe

Jonathan Edwards

Richard Burgon

Kate Osborne

Beth Winter

That this House commends the work of PCS and Care4Calais and the launch of their policy document Safe passage for refugees: humane alternative to the Rwanda policy; notes the key demands include the implementation of a safe passage visa scheme, greater investment in the Home Office and the reform of immigration detention centres; acknowledges the worrying increase in small boat crossings this year with numbers of individuals making this journey in 2022 expected to rise to over 60,000; deplores the hateful rhetoric against refugees which has continued to appear in many parts of the press and social media in recent months; is concerned that the Government's own policies and decisions are encouraging this rhetoric despite the UNHCR and Refugee Council confirming that most individuals making the treacherous journey are needing protection; and calls on the Government to urgently act to protect these vulnerable people who are fleeing humanitarian crises across the world and work with PCS and Care4Calais to create a system which will stop these dangerous small boat crossings and will instead support genuine asylum claims allowing individuals and families to arrive safely in the UK and begin their new lives in the UK

597Funding for fire and rescue services

Tabled: 21/11/22 Signatories: 45

Mary Kelly Foy

Zarah Sultana

Claudia Webbe

Jonathan Edwards

Kim Johnson

Richard Burgon

That this House recognises and celebrates the significant role firefighters play in society, particularly in the face of increasing extreme weather events and the part they played during the pandemic that included delivering medicines to the vulnerable, supporting the ambulance service and moving the bodies of the deceased; further recognises that the fire and rescue service has suffered central funding cuts of around 30 per cent since 2010, resulting in the loss of more than 11,500 frontline firefighters; is concerned that lives could be put at risk from further cuts; acknowledges that firefighters have lost approximately £4,000 in real terms over the past decade; notes with dismay that some firefighters are resorting to food banks; further notes when inflation is taken into account, the 5 per cent offer from the employers that was rejected by the Fire Brigades Union still represents a further cut in real wages; calls for urgent central Government funding for fire and rescue services; and urges employers and the Government to give firefighters a fair pay rise.

600Pension Credit

Tabled: 22/11/22 Signatories: 14

Patricia Gibson

Jim Shannon

John McDonnell

Jonathan Edwards

Allan Dorans

Caroline Lucas

That this House welcomes the Government’s promotion of Pension Credit to increase its uptake, at long last, given that research by Independent Age had shown that only 61 per cent of those eligible were receiving it; appreciates that Pension Credit can be a gateway benefit for low income pensioners; is concerned by reports of lengthy delays to the processing of Pension Credit claims, with some pensioners forced to wait several months before payment is made; is disappointed by the failure of the Government to prepare for the increase in Pension Credit claims made as a result of its own awareness campaign; calls for additional support to be given to the Department for Work and Pensions to assist processing Pension Credit claims; and recognises the need for immediate action to ensure the most vulnerable in our society receive the support promised by Pension Credit to protect them during what will be a harsh winter.

608Carers Rights Day 2022

Tabled: 23/11/22 Signatories: 18

Ed Davey

Wendy Chamberlain

Richard Foord

Wera Hobhouse

Christine Jardine

Tim Farron

That this House supports Carers Rights Day, taking place on 24 November 2022; recognises this year’s theme of Caring Costs, which acknowledges the enormous financial, mental and emotional burden faced by millions of unpaid carers looking after their loved ones across the UK; notes that many unpaid carers go unrecognised by both themselves and the Government; commends Carers Rights Day’s goals of increasing awareness, recognition and support for carers; notes the need for a strategic approach from the Government to identify and support unpaid carers; and calls on the Government to immediately give carers the support they need by uprating Carers Allowance at least in line with inflation.

610Penicuik Athletic FC's victory in the under-16s Girls Cup Final

Tabled: 23/11/22 Signatories: 4

Owen Thompson

Patrick Grady

Allan Dorans

Jonathan Edwards

That this House congratulates Penicuik Athletic FC on their 3-1 victory against Giffnock SC in the under-16s Girls Cup Final this week; further congratulates Caitlin Waterson, Emily Brown and Emily Reid on their goals during the game, as well as head coach Steven Clarke and the whole team; notes the club's history reaching back to 1888 and continued contributions to Scottish football over the years; recognises the extremely hard work the team has put into training; further notes the importance of maintaining opportunities for young women and girls to take part in sport in Midlothian; and wishes the team the very best of luck in now playing in the under-18s.

611Intimidation at community, parish and town councils

Tabled: 23/11/22 Signatories: 14

Dr Julian Lewis

Cat Smith

Sir Graham Brady

Helen Morgan

Andrew Selous

Rosie Cooper

That this House expresses its support and appreciation for local community, parish and town councils which are the first tier of local government in England and Wales and play a vital role in our communities; notes with concern that whilst the vast majority of local councils are well run, there remain behavioural issues in a small minority of councils and by members of the public which involve bullying, intimidation and harassment of both councillors and their staff, as confirmed through a dedicated Civility and Respect project led by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC), One Voice Wales (OVW), county associations of local councils, and also highlighted by the Association of Local Council Clerks (ALCC); further notes with concern this is leading to councillors and staff leaving the sector and is creating difficulties in recruiting to those roles; and calls on the Government to re-visit its response to the Committee on Standards in Public Life report on local government ethical standards and introduce the report’s recommendations in full including tougher sanctions such as suspension for poorly behaving councillors.

612National eye health strategy

Tabled: 23/11/22 Signatories: 7

Marsha De Cordova

Claudia Webbe

Christine Jardine

Ian Lavery

Kim Johnson

Rachael Maskell

That this House recognises that over two million people in the UK are living with conditions which cause sight loss; notes that 250 people lose their sight every day and sight loss costs the UK economy £36 billion per year; further notes that NHS eye care services are facing significant pressures, with ophthalmology accounting for almost ten per cent of NHS waiting lists; and calls for the development of a National Eye Care Strategy which would focus on improved health outcomes, eliminate the postcode lottery of eye care treatment, address the inequities in access to, and provision of, eye care services, reduce the backlog, ensure positive patient experiences, ensure providers of care are joined up, maximise workforce capacity and skills and make better use of research and innovation.

614Stewart Maxwell's service to Kirkintilloch Rob Roy F.C.

Tabled: 24/11/22 Signatories: 3

Amy Callaghan

Allan Dorans

Patrick Grady

That this House congratulates Stewart Maxwell, football manager, for his 10-year service to Kirkintilloch Rob Roy F.C. which has had a proud history since its establishment in 1878; further congratulates him on his appointment as new manager of Pollok F.C., recognising the significant role he will go on to play there; commends the lasting and significant contribution he has made; and acknowledges him and assistant manager Chris McFadyen for the outstanding work they have done with the club and their commitment to sport in the local area.