Commons business papers

Contents

Published: Friday 10 February 2023

Early Day Motions tabled on Thursday 9 February 2023

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

850National Lottery funding for Cassiltoun Housing Association

Tabled: 9/02/23 Signatories: 2

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates Cassiltoun Housing Association on its £9,220 grant from the National Lottery; notes that this will allow the club to provide art classes for Castlemilk residents who are over 50 years of age to improve their wellbeing; and commends the work of this organisation, along with those across the country, who provide such vital services to their communities.

851National Lottery funding for Castlemilk Community Church

Tabled: 9/02/23 Signatories: 2

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates Castlemilk Community Church on received a grant of £98,522 from the National Lottery; recognises that this will fund an outreach programme over the next three years that aims to support newly arrived asylum seekers and refugees with settling into residency in Glasgow South constituency; commends this work, which will support approximately 1,500 individuals with 50 volunteers; and acknowledges the positive impact that this funding will have on allowing Castlemilk Community Church to continue their vital work.

852National Lottery funding for Queen's Park FC Foundation

Tabled: 9/02/23 Signatories: 2

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates Queen's Park FC Foundation on receiving a grant of £9,696 from the National Lottery; notes that this funding will allow Queen's Park FC Foundation to deliver four ten-week programmes to older isolated adults living in the south of Glasgow; recognises that Queen’s Park FC Foundation uses sport as a way to improve the health and wellbeing of members of their community; and wishes them all the best in their future projects.

853National Lottery funding for Give A Dog A Bone

Tabled: 9/02/23 Signatories: 2

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates Give A Dog A Bone... and an animal a home on their receipt of a £88,000 grant from the National Lottery; recognises that this will allow Give A Dog A Bone to provide chronically isolated and lonely individuals in Glasgow and Troon with the opportunity to make friendships and connections with other members of the community; commends their work with dogs which encourages people to engage with the project and helps them to connect with others, as well as nature; and further recognises the efforts of this organisation and their volunteers who dedicate themselves to supporting communities across Scotland.

854Moira Anderson Foundation 23rd anniversary

Tabled: 9/02/23 Signatories: 2

Ms Anum Qaisar

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates the Moira Anderson Foundation on its 23rd anniversary; recognises the significant work that the foundation undertakes across North Lanarkshire; understands that the service provided by the foundation is essential in supporting victims and survivors of childhood sexual abuse; commends and thanks all staff and volunteers for their continuous hard work and dedication; notes that the service continues to successfully support those across the community; and hopes that it continues to do so as the service expands.

855Hoggs of Fife

Tabled: 9/02/23 Signatories: 1

Wendy Chamberlain

That this House congratulates Hoggs of Fife for winning the Rural Enterprise Award from the Scottish Countryside Alliance; notes the imagination and ingenuity that this award recognises; commends Hoggs of Fife for providing high quality clothing for the Fife community since 1888; appreciates the vital importance of local family-owned businesses to local communities; and further appreciates all local businesses for creating local jobs and supporting the local economy.

856Billy Waters bicentenary 2023

Tabled: 9/02/23 Signatories: 1

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

That this House commemorates Billy Waters, the first African American popular performer to become celebrated in Britain, who died on 21 March 1823; notes that he enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1811 during the Napoleonic Wars, was promoted to petty officer, and lost a leg in an accident at sea; notes that he lived in London and started a family but his disabled war-veteran’s pension proved inadequate, and to survive he turned to busking on the street, which was deemed begging and illegal; further notes that wearing a large bicorn-hat with feathers and a judge’s wig, Billy Waters cut a flamboyant and mesmerizing figure, fiddling, singing and dancing with peculiar antics; notes that in his home neighbourhood, the St Giles Rookery, Billy was a well-loved community musician, and became a renowned London character, represented in images by leading Regency-era artists; further notes that in the stage production Tom and Jerry a former clown played the role Billy Waters as a bullying and ludicrous rogue; notes that this racist defamation led Billy to lose his good name, livelihood, and identity; further notes that he was arrested several times for busking, and died a pauper in the St Giles Workhouse; recognises Billy Waters as a British cultural pioneer, an inspiration for BAME, disabled and immigrant communities everywhere, and an early herald of the UK’s thriving Black performing arts community; and applauds the installation of a commemorative plaque on Dyott St where he and his family lived.

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.

812RSPB Garden Birdwatch 2023

Tabled: 30/01/23 Signatories: 9

Jim Shannon

Carla Lockhart

Stewart Hosie

Margaret Ferrier

Patricia Gibson

Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson

That this House notes the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' annual Big Garden Birdwatch 2023, taking place from 27 to 29 January 2023; highlights their efforts to preserve and protect the red list of birds who are most at risk and underlines that sadly the UK has lost 38 million birds over the last 50 years; urges constituents to be aware of the RSPB's important aim of learning about nature and wildlife and further notes how much of a success the Big Garden Birdwatch is; further highlights how our education sector can get involved as the RSPB launch their Big Schools Birdwatch 2023 and partake in virtual events which teach children the importance of food chains and beak adaptions; and thanks the RSPB for all their dedication in getting as many people involved as possible and celebrates their success in birdwatching thus far.

832Pay offer for Members' staff

Tabled: 2/02/23 Signatories: 43

Lloyd Russell-Moyle

Mary Kelly Foy

Grahame Morris

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Kate Osborne

Andy McDonald

That this House notes after years of below inflation pay increases to MPs staff that the 2023-24 pay offer of 4.9 per cent from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is grossly inadequate; supports the Unite Parliamentary branch's demand for a RPI plus two percent pay increase; recognises a 2020 independent report to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority found that staff were underpaid to comparable positions; backs the Unite Parliamentary Branch's campaign to have another pay review inquiry with an automatic uplift associated to the recommendations of any report; and calls on the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to negotiate with the branch to prevent industrial action against MPs.

834Auchmuty High School, Glenrothes, Eco Schools Status and Green Flag Award

Tabled: 3/02/23 Signatories: 6

Peter Grant

Jim Shannon

Allan Dorans

Douglas Chapman

Patrick Grady

Chris Law

That this House congratulates Auchmuty High School, Glenrothes on their success in achieving Eco-School status and the recent award of their Green Flag; recognises that pupils in the Eco-Schools Working Group have worked relentlessly over recent years including throughout the covid-19 pandemic to reach their Eco-Schools goal; notes that Eco-Schools is the largest sustainable schools programme in the world, with participation across 74 countries; acknowledges that Auchmuty High School is the latest school in the Glenrothes and Central Fife area to receive a Green Flag, joining Balcurvie Primary School, Collydean Primary School, Kennoway Primary School and St Paul’s RC Primary School; commends the pupils of Auchmuty High School for their commitment to environmental sustainability; and encourages other schools to get involved in Eco-Schools and take advantage of the opportunity for pupils to engage in action to support the environment.

837Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

Tabled: 6/02/23 Signatories: 13

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

Stewart Hosie

Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson

Owen Thompson

Paul Girvan

That this House notes that a powerful earthquake struck south eastern Turkey, near the Syrian border, at 04:17 local time, and has killed more than 1,700 people through the night; further notes that thousands of other civilians have been found seriously injured and trapped and that the 7.8 magnitude tremor struck near the city of Gaziantep at a depth of 17.9km; adds that hours later, a second earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.5, hit the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras province; underlines that so far over 1,700 people have tragically died in both Turkey and Syria and that seismologists said the first quake was one of the largest ever recorded in Turkey; further underlines the extensive damage to infrastructure, that among the buildings destroyed was Gaziantep Castle and that many victims in war-torn northern Syria were killed in refugee camps in rebel-held areas; sends condolences for each and every loss and urges the Government to make available any assistance possible.

838Celebrating support staff in further education

Tabled: 7/02/23 Signatories: 11

Emma Hardy

Jonathan Edwards

Jon Trickett

John McDonnell

Dan Carden

Rachael Maskell

That this House applauds the vital work undertaken by support staff in colleges, who help keep colleges running smoothly and support learners with their further education; recognises the national celebration day, organised by UNISON, which takes place on Friday, 10 February 2023, entitled ‘Champions in our Colleges’; further recognises that college support staff are often hidden behind the scenes and yet are vital to the education of people of all ages; and further recognises that their roles are incredibly diverse, working in classrooms to support learners, in offices completing vital administration, ensuring the college estates are clean and safe, technical roles ensuring that staff and learners have the equipment they need and so much more, and that they play a vital role in every aspect of college life and without them colleges could not run.

839VAT Burn campaign and reform of VAT on sunscreen products

Tabled: 7/02/23 Signatories: 15

Amy Callaghan

Patricia Gibson

Douglas Chapman

Jonathan Edwards

Hannah Bardell

Allan Dorans

That this House recognises the need to reform VAT on sunscreen products that provide a health benefit; acknowledges that Government advice to sit in the shade is not enough to protect our skin; supports sunscreen products being defined as a healthcare product, instead of luxury goods; and calls on the Government to initiate an awareness campaign around skin protection in the sun.

84312th anniversary of Bahrain’s pro-democracy uprising

Tabled: 7/02/23 Signatories: 11

Mr Alistair Carmichael

Jonathan Edwards

Tim Farron

Claudia Webbe

Rachael Maskell

Wendy Chamberlain

That this House notes the 14 February marks the 12th anniversary of Bahrain’s 2011 Arab Spring pro-democracy uprising that protested over 200 years of the AlKhalifa ruling dictatorship, state repression and structural inequalities, which authorities brutally crushed; raises alarm that Bahrain’s rights record has since deteriorated; decries that opposition leaders, human rights defenders and activists who were wrongfully imprisoned and tortured for their role in this uprising, including Hassan Mushaima, Dr Abduljalil AlSingace and Abdulhadi AlKhawaja, remain behind bars an echoes calls for their immediate and unconditional release; expresses grave concern that hundreds of political prisoners are subjected to medical negligence and discrimination, and calls for their release; expresses concern that AlSingace has been on hunger strike for over 19 months in order to demand the return of his confiscated research; calls on the Government to urge for his research to be given to his family members; decries Bahrain’s 2022 sham elections which were deemed to be the most repressive in 20 years; further decries that Bahrain holds 26 prisoners on death row at imminent risk of execution, many of whom allege torture including Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa; condemns that since 2012 the UK has spent millions in taxpayer money on technical assistance to Bahrain which has failed to lead to demonstrable human rights or democracy improvements, and yet continues the provision of assistance through the Gulf Strategy Fund despite its repeated implications in violations of international law and cross-party calls for its suspension; and reiterates these calls.

845150th anniversary of the Parkhead Congregational Church

Tabled: 7/02/23 Signatories: 5

David Linden

Jonathan Edwards

Allan Dorans

Patrick Grady

Chris Law

That this House congratulates Parkhead Congregational Church on their 150th anniversary; notes that in 1863 twenty scholars and three teachers met in the East End of Glasgow to form a Sunday School, this eventually became the Parkhead Congregational Church; commends the Church for supporting the local community through many historical events over the past 150 years, particularly for supporting their congregation recently with the covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis; and hopes that the Parkhead Congregational Church enjoy a joyful celebration for their 150th anniversary.

847Complaints of sexual harassment at McDonald's restaurants

Tabled: 8/02/23 Signatories: 14

Dawn Butler

John McDonnell

Mary Kelly Foy

Jeremy Corbyn

Kate Osborne

Kim Johnson

That this House recognises the legal agreement under section 23 of the Equalities Act 2006 reached between the Equalities and Human Rights Commission and fast-food giant McDonald’s UK in response to concerns over the handling of complaints by staff of sexual harassment; believes that this vindicates the campaign of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union and McStrike to highlight a toxic culture which has been allowed to persist within the corporation and a number of its franchisees; further believes that whilst the actions to which McDonald’s has committed under the agreement are welcome, no amount of management training and policy statements can compensate for the power differentials between permanent management and workers on zero hours or other casualised contracts; considers that the single most significant step the corporation could take would be accept a voluntary recognition agreement with the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union and facilitate access for union organisers to recruit those who wish to be represented by a trade union, to extend rights to workers on part-time and temporary contracts; and supports the demands of the Zero Hours Justice campaign to end the use of zero hours contracts where they are unilaterally imposed and, in the meantime, improve and protect rights for zero hours workers.

848Retirement of Tom Rennie from HM Coastguard

Tabled: 8/02/23 Signatories: 3

Drew Hendry

Chris Law

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates Tom Rennie on his recent retirement; recognises that Tom dedicated 21 years of service to HM Coastguard as a station officer in Nairn; commends Tom on becoming one of the founding members of the first HM Coastguard Water Rescue Team, following extensive flooding in the Highlands in the early 2000s; pays thanks to all coastguards for their tireless work keeping communities safe; and wishes Tom a happy retirement.

849Heather Bryson, British Citizen Youth Award Ambassador

Tabled: 8/02/23 Signatories: 3

Drew Hendry

Chris Law

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates 11 year old Heather Bryson on her recent success at the British Citizen Youth Awards; recognises that Heather was formally announced as a British Citizen Youth Award Ambassador for her work in providing an intergenerational lifeline with her exercise classes for people living with disabilities, community gifting and recycling projects; notes that Heather carries out live Zoom classes for care homes, particularly for those living with dementia; commends Heather's commitment to helping others; and wishes her ongoing success for the future.