Contents

Published: Friday 16 December 2022

Early Day Motions tabled on Thursday 15 December 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

710Palestinians living in Masafer Yatta

Tabled: 15/12/22 Signatories: 1

Tony Lloyd

That this House is deeply concerned by the Israeli High Court of Justice’s decision to approve the eviction of Palestinians living in the Masafer Yatta region of the occupied West Bank to make room for Israeli military training; highlights that the demolitions and confiscations occurring in the occupied West Bank contravene international humanitarian law and undermine social stability and security; strongly condemns the proposed forced removal of over 1,000 Palestinians, including 580 children who are at imminent risk of displacement; emphasises that those involved stand to lose their homes, belongings, access to water, livelihoods, primary health facilities and schools; is appalled that Israeli forces raided and demolished a recently-built Palestinian primary school in Masafer Yatta that served 22 students from four different villages; and calls on the Government to press the Israeli authorities to halt all forcible evictions and demolitions in the occupied West Bank.

711Global hunger and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (No. 4)

Tabled: 15/12/22 Signatories: 1

Tony Lloyd

That this House is concerned by the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia, where severe drought has left 9.9 million people facing hunger and 24 million in need of humanitarian assistance; highlights that 2.2 million children in Ethiopia are acutely malnourished; recognises the role that climate change plays in the scale and severity of this crisis; highlights that the UN has listed Ethiopia in the top five countries in need of humanitarian aid; highlights that the World Food Programme was only able to reach 10 per cent of mothers and children across northern Ethiopia needing nutrition support in August due to a lack of funding and supply shortages; emphasises the effects of the conflict in Tigray which has displaced hundreds of thousands and left 90 per cent of the region’s population in acute need of food assistance; notes that between April 2021 and June 2022 at least 1,900 children under five died from malnutrition in Tigray; further notes that the World Food Programme says aid shipments to Tigray are not meeting needs, and that although roads into the region have opened since the peace agreement, delivery remains constrained; is dismayed that the world is set to fail the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030; and calls on the Government to (a) do all it can to ensure sufficient humanitarian aid reaches Tigray, (b) support international and non-governmental humanitarian organisations operating in Ethiopia, and (c) restore the commitment to spending 0.7 per cent of GNI on international aid.

712Defence Business Services office closures

Tabled: 15/12/22 Signatories: 5

Margaret Greenwood

Kim Johnson

Peter Dowd

Dame Angela Eagle

Dan Carden

That this House notes the decision by the Government to close offices of Defence Business Services in Liverpool and Cheadle Hulme in order to relocate staff to a new site at Talbot Gate in Blackpool; expresses concern at the way the Government has handled the process with the decision being initially announced at Conservative Party Spring Conference this year before being formally announced on 2 August; highlights that the new site is not actually expected to be open until early 2026 with the consequence that staff will have to be temporarily based at Thornton Cleveleys once Walker House in Liverpool is closed by November 2023; further expresses concern that many of the staff affected are low paid or have caring commitments which could make it difficult to relocate or commute; highlights the knowledge and skills which would be lost if staff are made redundant or leave and the impact that could have on the delivery of services, including Veteran Services; and calls on the Government to halt the closure of the offices in Liverpool and Manchester and reconsider the decision.

713160th anniversary of Laings of Inverurie

Tabled: 15/12/22 Signatories: 1

Richard Thomson

That this House pays tribute to the continuing success and growth of Laings of Inverurie, established as an independent family business in 1862, who have recently celebrated their 160th anniversary as one of the largest independent retailers of kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms in the UK; acknowledges the vital importance of independent businesses like Laings to the retail sector and the importance of such business to the long-term economic prospects of our local economies; further commends the owners, management and staff of Laings for their commitment to excellent service to the many thousands of loyal customers in Aberdeenshire and beyond; and wishes the company continued success into the future.

714Royal DSM Bovaer manufacturing facility, Dalry

Tabled: 15/12/22 Signatories: 1

Patricia Gibson

That this House celebrates the recent ground-breaking ceremony at Royal DSM’s Bovaer manufacturing facility in Dalry, carried out by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP; understands that Bovaer is a unique methane-reducing feed additive, which can reduce emissions by 30 per cent in dairy cows and 45 per cent in beef cattle; believes that reducing atmospheric methane is a crucial step in keeping global warming below the 1.5 degrees Celsius outlined in the Paris Agreement; further understands that 30 November 2022 marked the beginning of the facility’s construction, following the announcement of DSM’s £100 million investment, backed by a £12 million grant from the Scottish Government during COP26 in 2021; congratulates DSM for delivering what it considers a unique project, with Dalry chosen from plants across the world, a tribute to the skills and commitment of the Ayrshire workforce; is heartened by reports that employee numbers will rise to 400 at Dalry, with a further 150 contractors over the 30-month construction phase, while boosting the supply chain; considers that this development shows Scotland’s leadership in tackling the climate emergency and meeting the 2030 pledge to cut methane emissions by at least 30 per cent by 2030; and wishes DSM and its workforce the best in delivering what it sees as this exciting and globally significant project.

715Regulator of Social Housing’s report on Rochdale Boroughwide Housing

Tabled: 15/12/22 Signatories: 1

Tony Lloyd

That this House acknowledges the report by the Regulator of Social Housing following its investigation into Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) after the death of Awaab Ishak; is shocked by the report’s conclusions, including that there have been significant failures in the way RBH manages damp and mould in its homes, resulting in harm to tenants, that RBH waited nearly two years after Awaab Ishak died to check other homes on the estate where he lived, and that once RBH did finally check these homes they found that almost 80% of tenants there had signs of damp and mould; notes the very belated resignation of the board of RBH, who so signally failed to provide any adequate scrutiny of the actions of the Chief Executive; insists that any reconstituted board must be charged with the obvious importance of their role in making RBH accountable for protecting the interests and particularly the health of RBH tenants; notes that in the past there were local authority representatives on the board of RBH but these were removed; and believes that a strong role for elected members of the local authority is key to ensuring accountability and that social housing is maintained to an acceptable standard.

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.

664Equal private pension entitlement for bereaved unmarried partners

Tabled: 5/12/22 Signatories: 22

Geraint Davies

Jim Shannon

John McDonnell

Tahir Ali

Claire Hanna

Chris Stephens

That this House welcomes the progress that has been made in ensuring unmarried partners have access to public service pensions; further welcomes the decision in 2019 to support the equal treatment of survivors of all legal relationships; recognises that the proportion of unmarried couples in the United Kingdom continues to increase; believes that it is an issue of basic fairness and protection that unmarried couples should receive the same benefits as married couples should one partner die; and calls on the Government to bring forward legislation to ensure that all pension schemes, both public and private, provide for long-term survivor benefits for unmarried survivors.

672Free School Meals For All campaign

Tabled: 6/12/22 Signatories: 45

Zarah Sultana

Ian Byrne

Kim Johnson

Caroline Lucas

Munira Wilson

Apsana Begum

That this House notes that 3.9 million children are growing up in poverty and that the cost of living crisis is estimated to push another 500,000 children into poverty; recognises that free school meals ensure millions of children get a hot, healthy meal each day, but that as millions of families struggle with the cost of living crisis, more children are being forced to learn on empty stomachs, with restrictive eligibility, complicated registration and stigma built into the means-tested system; welcomes campaigning to extend free school meals, including those led by the National Education Union, the Daily Mirror and the Food Foundation; and calls on the Government to extend free school meals to all primary school children in state schools in England, as proposed by the Free School Meals for All Bill, formally known as the Free School Meals (Primary Schools) Bill.

684Decision to approve the Whitehaven coal mine

Tabled: 8/12/22 Signatories: 10

Tim Farron

Stephen Farry

Wendy Chamberlain

Richard Foord

Ben Lake

Jonathan Edwards

That this House deplores the Government’s decision to approve a new coal mine in Whitehaven, Cumbria; believes that it damages the United Kingdom’s international reputation and sets a terrible example of climate leadership; recognises that, while the coal mine will create 500 time-limited jobs, the Local Government Association estimate 6,000 green jobs could be created in Cumbria by 2030; understands that British Steel and Tata Steel have no plans to purchase coal from the mine and that 87 per cent of the coking coal produced will be exported; and demands that the Government reverses its decision to approve the Whitehaven coal mine and invests in green, renewable jobs in Cumbria to provide secure, long-term employment.

685Energy costs for families of seriously ill children

Tabled: 8/12/22 Signatories: 23

Siobhain McDonagh [R]

Kim Johnson

Claire Hanna

Richard Burgon

Marion Fellows

Dan Carden

That this House is concerned by the growing energy costs that families of seriously ill children who rely on life-sustaining equipment at home are paying; welcomes the donation made by Kate Winslet to Carolynne Hunter, mother to Freya, 13, who has severe cerebral palsy and relies on receiving oxygen for chronic breathing problems, to fund her energy bill; further welcomes Together for Short Lives’ Cost of Living Support Fund, which will help ease the burden of families’ rising bills, so they can keep life-sustaining equipment running; recognises that families should not have to rely on the generosity of celebrities or charities to fund their energy bills; and calls on the Government to take additional, urgent action to ensure that families of seriously ill children who rely on life-sustaining equipment at home can afford the energy they need.

686Compulsory prepayment meters

Tabled: 9/12/22 Signatories: 12

Jon Trickett

Ian Lavery

Dan Carden

Kim Johnson

Neale Hanvey

Jim Shannon

That this House understands that due to rising energy prices many households are struggling to pay their bills; notes that nearly half a million warrants allowing energy firms to forcibly install prepayment meters in people’s homes have been approved by courts since July 2021, according to a Freedom of Information request; further notes reports in The i newspaper that courts are signing off these warrants in large batches without examining individual cases; recognises that households with prepayment meters have less rights than other customers because they are not entitled to get into more than £10 of debt and if they are unable to pay in advance they are forced to self-disconnect leaving them without power in their homes; further recognises that the rules state that suppliers cannot force-fit a prepayment meter under warrant for people in very vulnerable situations if they don’t want one, charge them for warrant costs on debts, or use warrants on people who would find the experience very traumatic; expresses its concern that warrants are being issued without the appropriate checks being undertaken to make sure that the rules are being followed; believes that nobody should be left without energy this winter as a result of them not being able to afford bills; calls for the Government to immediately implement a legal ban on prepayment meters being forcibly installed without the approval of households; and further calls for the Government to investigate whether courts are following the rules relating to the forced instalment of prepayment meters.

688Special Tribunal on Russian Aggression in Ukraine

Tabled: 9/12/22 Signatories: 30

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Dr Julian Lewis

Christine Jardine

Liz Saville Roberts

Colum Eastwood

Stuart C McDonald

That this house seeks justice and accountability for atrocities committed by Russian troops during their invasion of Ukraine, as well as for the crime of the war itself; recognises that the decision by the Russian Federation to launch attacks on Ukraine poses a grave challenge to the post-1945 international order; recognises that in line with international law the invasion has provided for individual criminal responsibility for those who plan, initiate or execute wars of aggression; supports all ongoing investigations into Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, including those before the International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court and European Court of Human Rights; recommends the establishment of an ad hoc special tribunal with a mandate to investigate and prosecute the crime of aggression allegedly committed by the political and military leadership of the Russian Federation; suggests applying the definition of the crime of aggression based on Article 8 bis of the Rome Statute; calls for guarantees that accountability will extend to government and political officials; welcomes the exercise of jurisdiction by the International Criminal Court over war crimes, crimes against humanity, and attempted genocide on the territory of Ukraine; notes that Russian co-operation with such a trial may be one key metric by which we can judge that Europe is on a path towards peace; recognises that a Ukrainian victory is necessary for the integrity of the international system, as are justice and accountability for Russian crimes; and considers that accountability for the crime of aggression against Ukraine must be secured.

690Involuntarily installation of prepayment meters

Tabled: 12/12/22 Signatories: 10

Dan Carden

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

Mohammad Yasin

Dr Philippa Whitford

Chris Stephens

That this House notes with concern the significant increase in the number of households being involuntarily moved onto prepayment meters; is alarmed by reports that since July 2021 nearly half a million warrants have been issued allowing energy firms to force entry into the UK’s poorest homes, and that at one court in the North of England, magistrates signed off a single batch of 496 utility warrants in just three minutes and 51 seconds as a debt agent representing several major energy firms dialled in by telephone; recognises the injustice that the 4.5 million UK households on prepayment meters face higher average annual bills than those on direct debit; notes that Citizens Advice report an unprecedented number of people who cannot afford to top up their prepayment meter, leaving them facing a choice between being pushed deeper into debt or self-disconnecting; further notes the concerns raised by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition that energy suppliers are using prepayment meter installations under warrant to disconnect indebted customers by the back door; believes that suppliers need to be supporting customers in debt; and calls on the Government to ban the forcible installation of prepayment meters this winter and end the indefensible prepayment meter premium that sees the poorest households paying the highest prices.

69540th anniversary of Northern Ireland qualifying for 1982 World Cup

Tabled: 12/12/22 Signatories: 8

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

Chris Stephens

Gavin Robinson

Mr Gregory Campbell

Kirsten Oswald

That this House notes the 40th anniversary of Northern Ireland qualifying for the 1982 World Cup held in Spain; further notes the honourable dedication of Head Coach, Billy Bingham who sadly passed away on the 9 June 2022 and the international debut of seventeen year old Norman Whiteside, who became the youngest player ever in the World Cup Finals, a record that still stands; highlights the new documentary created by the Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Service which contains edited video of over eight hours of footage showing the reactions and shockwaves in the crowd as they cheered on Billy Bingham's squad which included Gerry Armstrong, Pat Jennings, Martin O'Neill and Billy Hamilton; and celebrates again the achievements of the NI 1981 Football Squad and the joy many thousands of fans felt at their success.

696Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ

Tabled: 12/12/22 Signatories: 5

Jim Shannon

Tim Farron

Gavin Robinson

Paul Girvan

Carla Lockhart

That this House recognises the true meaning of Christmas being the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as the first step of God's redemptive plan; highlights the greatest gift that was given that first Christmas of love and forgiveness in the form of a baby; expresses gratitude that we are able to openly practise and express our faith at Christmas and all the year through; thinks and prays for those in other nations where freedom of religious belief is only a dream and where persecution for faith is a daily battle; and takes the opportunity to wish everyone across this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland a blessed and safe Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

69980th anniversary of acknowledgement of Holocaust in the House of Commons

Tabled: 12/12/22 Signatories: 51

Kirsten Oswald

Andrew Percy

Dame Margaret Hodge

Christine Jardine

Jim Shannon

Liz Saville Roberts

That this House notes that Saturday 17 December marks the 80th anniversary of the Government first publicly acknowledging the Holocaust in the House of Commons chamber; recalls that then Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Anthony Eden MP, during a statement to the House regarding a joint declaration from European allied countries condemned in the strongest possible terms this bestial policy of cold-blood extermination; understands that the House responded to this statement with a spontaneous moment of silence; appreciates the vital work carried out now by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, ensuring people across the UK are aware of the Holocaust and more recent genocides; appreciates their work to ensure that testimony is shared and lessons learned are understood and remembered; and notes that on Thursday 15 December a moment of silence will be observed in the House and survivors of the Holocaust will be present in the Speaker’s gallery.

700Dario Franchitti and the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame

Tabled: 13/12/22 Signatories: 9

Martyn Day

Hannah Bardell

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

Douglas Chapman

John McNally

That this House congratulates Bathgate bairn Dario Franchitti on being inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame; notes that the motorsport legend is a three-time winner of the famous Indianapolis 500 as well as four-time IndyCar series champion; recognises a lifetime of achievement in racing including winning the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in 1992, being crowned BBC Scotland’s Sports Personality of the Year 2007 and elected into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2019; commends Dario Franchitti for his bravery when he was involved in serious career-ending crash at the Grand Prix of Houston in 2013; and wishes him continued success in his new career as a TV commentator.

705Closure of the Middlesbrough Diamorphine-Assisted Treatment programme

Tabled: 14/12/22 Signatories: 10

Andy McDonald

Dan Carden

Stuart C McDonald

Caroline Lucas

Alex Cunningham

Grahame Morris

That this House is dismayed that the pioneering Middlesbrough Diamorphine-Assisted Treatment programme has closed due to the withdrawal of funding; applauds the exemplary efforts of Danny Ahmed and his colleagues at the addiction treatment clinic in helping to save and rebuild lives; recognises the success of this scheme in providing invaluable health benefits to participants and reducing offending and criminal justice costs significantly, as verified by Teesside University’s independent evaluation; acknowledges that drug deaths are at record levels, with people in Middlesbrough statistically more likely to die from a drug-related death than a car accident; notes that the Government’s Drugs Strategy, From Harm to Hope, published a year ago, stated that the cost of drug misuse is absolutely staggering and the human toll is incalculably larger, measured not in pounds lost but in lives shattered; further notes that the strategy stressed the need for evidence-based interventions and innovation, and identified Middlesbrough as the area worst-affected by opiate use; reaffirms the cross-party views of the Home Affairs Committee and the Drugs, Alcohol and Justice APPG that this evidence-based and cost-effective treatment scheme should be continued; and calls on the Government to ensure that the Middlesbrough Diamorphine-Assisted Treatment is rescued and restored at the earliest opportunity and sustainable funding can be secured.

706Treatment of workers at Orchard House Foods, Gateshead

Tabled: 14/12/22 Signatories: 4

Ian Mearns

Jeremy Corbyn

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Ian Byrne

That this House is shocked and angered by the treatment of workers made redundant at Orchard House Food’s Gateshead factory; notes that the company - which supplies companies such as Marks and Spencer, Morrisons and Pret a Manger - remains a going concern with some workers offered the chance to relocate to the Midlands; understands that the majority have been unable to relocate and were initially promised redundancy payments within two weeks of receiving their final pay slip, in most cases on 9 December; is outraged to learn that the workers have since been informed that there will be a delay in processing these redundancy payments until the New Year; is concerned about the impact on families now facing the prospect of Christmas without an income and yet to receive a penny of support from the company, leaving many worried about heating their homes or feeding their children; and calls on the management of Orchard House Foods to ensure that all redundancy payments are received in full prior to Christmas.

707Alcohol-specific deaths

Tabled: 14/12/22 Signatories: 4

Dan Carden

Mary Kelly Foy

Ms Marie Rimmer

Allan Dorans

That this House is seriously concerned by the sharp increase in alcohol-specific deaths in data released by the Office for National Statistics on 8 December 2022, revealing that in 2021 there were 9,641 deaths,14.8 per 100,000 people, from alcohol-specific causes registered in the UK, the highest number on record, representing a 7.4 per cent increase since the previous year and a 27.4 per cent increase since 2019, the last pre-coronavirus pandemic year; notes the clear regional differences in alcohol-specific mortality and alcohol harm with alcohol-specific mortality ranking highest in the North East for eight consecutive years, with double the number of deaths at 20.4 per 100,000 than the London region on 10.2 per 100,000; is alarmed by a lack of a UK Government alcohol strategy, noting that the last strategy was published in 2012; and calls on the Government to take immediate steps to address alcohol harm by commissioning an independent review of alcohol harm to inform a new alcohol strategy.

709Costs of public sector pay rises

Tabled: 14/12/22 Signatories: 17

Richard Burgon

John McDonnell

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Ms Diane Abbott

Jon Trickett

Andy McDonald

That this House rejects the claim made in the media by the Prime Minister that it would cost an additional £28 billion to award a pay-rise for all public sector workers in line with inflation; notes that according to economists and fact-checkers the Prime Minister's claim is vastly inflated; further notes that the Institute for Fiscal Studies in its Green Book estimates that pay rises in line with inflation for public sector workers would cost about £18bn and that the Government would, in addition, get around a third of this back in tax revenues reducing the cost further by around £6bn; further believes therefore that such a pay award could cost less than half of the government’s stated £28bn figure; notes that one of the many fair options available for funding such a pay increase in line with inflation would be to equalise Capital Gains Tax rates with income tax rates which would raise up to £17 billion a year; and calls on the Prime Minister to withdraw his claim and to make an offer of a pay award in line with inflation which would be a huge step towards reaching a resolution to avoid further strikes.