Contents

Published: Monday 27 February 2023

Early Day Motions tabled on Friday 24 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

899Retirement of Joan Fraser of the Lomond and Argyll Advocacy Service

Tabled: 24/02/23 Signatories: 1

Martin Docherty-Hughes

That this House notes that Joan Fraser of the Lomond and Argyll Advocacy Service has announced her retirement from the organisation after 23 years of supporting and advocating for vulnerable people across West Dunbartonshire; understands that the Lomond and Argyll Advocacy Service plays an invaluable role in providing independent advocacy to adults with a learning disability, adults who use mental health services and people over 65 across the community; wishes to put on record thanks to Joan for her dedicated and vital work over the years; and extends best wishes on her retirement.

900World Book Day 2023

Tabled: 24/02/23 Signatories: 1

Valerie Vaz

That this House supports World Book Day in its mission to promote reading for pleasure; commends tis success in distributing 50 million book tokens annually to children; with a further 101,000 books donated to children by publishers, the Arts Council and others; notes reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child's future success; further notes with concern that reading for pleasure is at its lowest level since 2005, with fewer than one in two children and young people aged nine to 18 saying they enjoyed reading; recognises the importance of children from all backgrounds having the opportunity to choose and own a book; calls on all Members of the House to be reading champions for their constituencies; and warmly welcomes World Book Day's celebration in schools and homes across the United Kingdom on 2 March 2023;

901Supporting independent and local journalism

Tabled: 24/02/23 Signatories: 1

Daisy Cooper

That this House recognises the crucial role that small, independent news publishers play in a democracy; notes the importance for communities of accessing truly local news that speaks to their needs and experiences; laments the sharp decline of local news production due to falling revenue and a rapidly evolving news economy; celebrates the growing innovation in independent news to respond to the challenges its providers face; welcomes the recommendations made by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s report on the sustainability of local news which build on the 2019 Cairncross Review of public interest news, noting in particular the directive to help independent news publishers become competitive and profitable in the face of tech giant market disruption, also reflected in the 2022 Public Interest Journalism Working Group’s recommendations to the Scottish Government; and therefore; resolves to ensure that publishers large and small benefit from a publisher-platform bargaining code in the forthcoming Digital Markets, Consumers and Competition Bill.

902The late John Ogden, the Green Shack seafood hut, Oban Pier

Tabled: 24/02/23 Signatories: 1

Brendan O'Hara

That this House note with great sadness the passing of John Oggy Ogden, the owner of the world-renowned Green Shack seafood hut on Oban Pier, which since he established the business in 1990 has provided hundreds of thousands of visitors and locals with the very best of Scottish seafood, with his now legendary prawn sandwich being recognised by the Observer magazine as being The Best in Britain; sends its sincere condolences to his family, particular his long-time partner Marion Ritchie; and wishes Marion and the staff at the Green Shack all the very best in the future as they build on John’s outstanding success.

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.

857Judgment on Bahrain state immunity

Tabled: 20/02/23 Signatories: 9

John McDonnell

Jim Shannon

Kenny MacAskill

Mick Whitley

Andy McDonald

Richard Burgon

That this House welcomes the High Court’s landmark ruling that the Kingdom of Bahrain does not have state immunity in a case brought by two UK-based Bahraini dissidents against the Bahraini government over spying allegations involving the use of spyware, which enabled it to conduct surreptitious surveillance on Bahraini political activists living in the UK and recognises that this decision comes in the same month as the 12 year anniversary of Bahrain’s pro-democracy uprising; further asserts that this decision clearly confirms that Bahrain and other states which conduct transnational repression on UK soil cannot hide behind state immunity and will be held accountable; and calls on the Government to protect individuals on UK soil from foreign cyber attacks and to hold the government of Bahrain to account.

863Ashton Wilson’s charity sleep-out for homeless veterans

Tabled: 20/02/23 Signatories: 5

Dr Lisa Cameron

Jim Shannon

Sir Julian Lewis

Angus Brendan MacNeil

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates Ashton Wilson on embarking on a 100 night sleep-out to support homeless veterans; commends his consistent effort over three years to raise funds for the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) who support and rehabilitate homeless veterans; recognises the struggles of veterans adapting to civilian life, and the acute struggles of veterans without fixed accommodation, including on access to employment and benefits; thanks the RBLI for its organisation of the annual Great Tommy Sleep out; commends Ashton’s fundraising, which last year reached £3,500 and enabled 15 veterans to receive emergency accommodation and be provided with much-needed training and support; and wishes Ashton the very best of success for this ongoing remarkable and commendable endeavour.

86440th anniversary of the Dance School of Scotland

Tabled: 20/02/23 Signatories: 4

Carol Monaghan

Jim Shannon

Hannah Bardell

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates the Dance School of Scotland on its 40th anniversary; celebrates the school’s Musical Theatre Course which was founded 25 years ago; highlights the Dance School’s national reputation as a Centre of Excellence in both vocational dance and musical theatre training; notes that it is fully funded by the Scottish Government, thereby enabling students from all backgrounds to realise their potential as they pursue a career in the arts; emphasises the expertise and dedication of its teaching faculty and musical accompanists; commends the dedication, creativity, and talent of its students and the success of its alumni; congratulates the Dance School on its achievements over the last 40 years; and wishes it all the best for years to come.

865Local government funding

Tabled: 20/02/23 Signatories: 11

Sir George Howarth

Jonathan Edwards

Jim Shannon

Rebecca Long Bailey

Dan Carden

Richard Foord

That this House acknowledges that local government fulfils a vital role and should be funded in such a manner as to enable it to continue to do so; notes with regret that councils face a funding gap of £3.19 billion for 2023-24; further notes that councils will be confronted with the unacceptable choice of cutting services or using already worryingly declining reserves to balance their budgets; expresses alarm that the gap is likely to increase to £5 billion in 2024-25 without taking into account increased energy costs and inflationary pressures; and calls on the Government to ensure that adequate funding is provided to local authorities in order to ensure that their budgets are future-proofed against the need to cut jobs and services in the short, medium and long term.

867Amendments to modern slavery guidance

Tabled: 20/02/23 Signatories: 9

Stuart C McDonald

Alison Thewliss

Jim Shannon

Hannah Bardell

Angus Brendan MacNeil

Hywel Williams

This House regrets the Prime Minister’s announcement of 13 December 2022, which included the intention to remove the gold-plating in our modern slavery system and significantly raise the threshold someone must meet to be recognised as a victim of modern slavery; opposes the subsequent updates to Modern Slavery Guidance, which include new, impossibly high standards of evidence required within the timeframe to trigger referral to the National Referral Mechanism, a reduction of the Recovery and Reflection Period for survivors of labour abuse and sexual exploitation from 45 to 30 days, and the removal of the NRM Multi-Agency Assurance panel process, changes that make it harder for survivors to be identified and supported, and represent a regression in efforts to increase identification and support of modern slavery victims; supports comments by anti-slavery campaigners that the existing system was not gold plated but already beset by delays and poor support; calls on the Government to reconsider these plans in light of the potential exploitation and harms they will cause, particularly for vulnerable refugees and trafficking victims, which includes a high proportion of children and young people; proposes that the government adopt a transparent data- and evidence-driven approach, in consultation with anti-trafficking organisations, to improve decision-making, following calls from STOP THE TRAFFIK supported by Anti-Slavery International; and encourages the Government to return to tackling modern slavery as both a serious crime and a safeguarding issue, not an illegal immigration issue, in order to tackle its root causes and better protect vulnerable people.

874Horizon Europe

Tabled: 21/02/23 Signatories: 8

Layla Moran

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

Tim Farron

Hywel Williams

Ben Lake

That this House celebrates the role of international collaboration in driving world leading research and innovation; notes the positive effect this has on productivity and competitiveness; recognises the continued benefit to British scientists and researchers which has accrued thanks to access to the Horizon schemes; notes with concern the significant delay to the UK gaining association as part of Horizon Europe which has resulted in British universities losing millions of pounds in funding and researchers relocating to Europe to more easily access funding there; further notes with concern the recent comments made by the new Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology that the UK is “ready” to pursue its own scheme, rather than take part in wide-scale collaboration with our neighbours that is of huge benefit to our country; and therefore calls on the Government to rule out this prospect and to recommit to gaining association with Horizon Europe as a matter of urgency.

875Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund Wee Box, Big Change Lent Appeal 2023

Tabled: 21/02/23 Signatories: 4

Brendan O'Hara

Jim Shannon

Angus Brendan MacNeil

Allan Dorans

That this House welcomes the launch of Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund’s 2023 Wee Box, Big Change Lent Appeal; understands that this year's appeal aims to support families suffering from hunger in Zambia; understands that the Lent appeal will help fund work to act against hunger through supporting the creation of small vegetable gardens, teaching organic farming skills, gifting livestock such as pigs and goats that can produce natural fertiliser, as well as enabling communities to come together to sell their products at market, earning more money for everyone; notes that the appeal will also support activities that enable girls to focus on their education and provide support for women to feed and provide for their families; and wishes SCIAF’s Wee Box, Big Change campaign every success.

879Support for people affected by the earthquake in Turkey by businesses in Inverness city centre

Tabled: 21/02/23 Signatories: 7

Drew Hendry

Jim Shannon

Hannah Bardell

Hywel Williams

Ben Lake

Liz Saville Roberts

That this House commends local businesses in Inverness city centre for their exemplar efforts in supporting people following the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey on 6 February 2023; notes that the earthquake left thousands of people without shelter, food and medical care; further notes that the Inverness community has rallied together to provide support to those affected by the disaster; recognises the role played by city centre businesses in collecting donations to aid relief efforts; and commends the compassion and generosity shown by the people of Inverness and beyond.

882Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria (No. 2)

Tabled: 21/02/23 Signatories: 8

Liz Saville Roberts

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

Angus Brendan MacNeil

Hywel Williams

Ben Lake

That this House mourns the lives lost and damaged caused by the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria; notes that over 47,000 people have died so far and that an estimated 300,000 people in the region are left homeless; and calls on the Government in the short term to implement a family visa scheme for Turks and Syrians who have been left homeless and have family in the UK, and in the long term to establish safe routes for all people who are affected by similar tragedies to be able to find sanctuary in the UK.

884National Lottery Community Fund Award to the Tuesday Friendship Club

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 2

Chris Stephens

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates the Tuesday Friendship Club based in the Glasgow South West constituency on their £10,000 National Lottery Community Funding award to support there weekly social club for adults with additional support needs in Govan; recognises the work of the Tuesday Friendship Club and supports it’s aims of hosting bespoke Events for Adults with Learning Disabilities and Additional Needs; and wishes the Tuesday Friendship Club the best with all its future endeavours.

885National Lottery Community Fund Award to the ACVC Hub

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 2

Chris Stephens

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates ACVC Hub based in the Glasgow South West constituency on their award of a £10,000 National Lottery Community Fund grant; understands this funding will be used to support a hub for Veterans with mental health issues to engage with creative activities to bring balance back to their lives; recognises ACVC Hub uses arts and crafts as a way to help the Veterans they serve improve their overall health; and wishes ACVC Hub the best with all its future endeavours.

886National Lottery Community Fund Award to Community Veteran's Support

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 2

Chris Stephens

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates Community Veterans Support based in Govan in the Glasgow South West constituency on their award of a £194,268 National Lottery Community Fund grant; understands this funding will be used to support veterans across Scotland through the provision of a drop-in centre based at the Pearce Institute in Govan; recognises Community Veterans Support works with veterans needing assistance with issues surrounding mental and physical health, homelessness, housing, pensions, benefits support, employment and training and a range of other support including friendship and camaraderie; and wishes Community Veterans Support the best with all its future endeavours.

887National Lottery Community Fund Award to Linthouse Monday Club

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 2

Chris Stephens

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates Linthouse Monday Club based in the Glasgow South West constituency on their award of a £10,000 National Lottery Community Fund grant; understands this funding will be used to allow the group to run bi-weekly trips to different locations in and around Glasgow, where participants will have a warm meal and have a fun day out with new friends; recognises Linthouse Monday Club aims to increase the connectivity of older people by setting up a sustainable and self-organised club run by older people, for older people in the Govan community; and wishes Linthouse Monday Club the best with all its future endeavours.

888National Lottery Community Fund Award to Govan Community Project

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 2

Chris Stephens

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates Govan Community Project based in Govan in the Glasgow South West constituency on their award of a £9,914 National Lottery Community Fund grant; understands this funding will be used to employ a Bike Library Co-ordinator to oversee their bike lending service; recognises Govan Community Project supports the diverse communities in the Greater Govan area and refugees and people seeking asylum all over Glasgow.; and wishes Govan Community Project the best with all its future endeavours.

889National Lottery Community Fund Award to Govan Men's Shed

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 2

Chris Stephens

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates Govan Men's Shed based in the Glasgow South West constituency on their award of a £9,950 National Lottery Community Fund grant; understands this funding will be used to extend their services and offer a warm space for local pensioners during the winter months; recognises Govan Men's Shed provides pensioners with an environment which gives them valuable contact and interaction by providing a workshop to assist local people with their DIY projects; and wishes Men’s Shed Govan the best with all its future endeavours.

890National Lottery Community Fund Award to The Rangers' Charity Foundation

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 2

Chris Stephens

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates The Rangers Charity Foundation based in the Glasgow South West constituency on their award of a £111,577 National Lottery Community Fund grant; understands this funding will be used to deliver a drop-in service for people in recovery from substance abuse and that the service delivered from Ibrox Stadium and the Ibrox complex benefitting 250 people and 30 volunteers over three years; recognises The Rangers Charity Foundation works compassionately to support those in need, by seeking tackle inequalities and by creating opportunities for people of all ages to change their lives for the better; and wishes The Rangers Charity the best with all its future endeavours.

891National Lottery Community Fund Award to Riverside Hall

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 2

Chris Stephens

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates Riverside Hall based in Govan in the Glasgow South West constituency on their award of £9,200 from National Lottery Community funding to run sessions twice weekly, 48 weeks of the year for young people aged five to eleven years, with sessions consisting of activities such as football, bike rides and old school games; recognises Riverside Hall provides a community space and activities for a vibrant local community of all age groups; and wishes the Riverside Hall the best with all its future endeavours.

892Andrew Arbuckle and National Farmers’ Union of Scotland Ambassador Award

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 2

Wendy Chamberlain

Mr Alistair Carmichael

That this House congratulates Andrew Arbuckle of Newburgh, Fife, on receiving the prestigious Ambassador Award from the National Farmers’ Union of Scotland; recognises Mr Arbuckle’s influential work as an agricultural advocate, award-winning journalist and local politician; remembers Mr Arbuckle’s vital coverage of farming emergencies such as foot and mouth disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy; appreciates Mr Arbuckle’s public service as a Liberal Democrat Member of Scottish Parliament and Fife councillor; and further endorses the importance of the Scottish agricultural industry, to which Mr Arbuckle has dedicated much of his career.

894Warm Home Discount Scheme

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 2

Steve McCabe

Valerie Vaz

That this House notes that many households are struggling with the cost of their energy bills; welcomes the decision to expand the Warm Home Discount to reach more households; is concerned by the number of people who were previously eligible for the Warm Home Discount who are no longer receiving it due to the energy rating of their household, despite their circumstances not changing; is further concerned that energy costs are being measured using Valuation Office Agency data and not including efficiency measures such as insulation; and calls for a review of how energy costs are measured and how it is that many households are no longer able to receive the discount despite being eligible to do so in the past.

895Henry Wuga's 99th birthday

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 7

Kirsten Oswald

Ms Anum Qaisar

Christine Jardine

Patricia Gibson

Amy Callaghan

Patrick Grady

That this House sends its very best wishes to Henry Wuga MBE on the occasion of his 99th birthday; notes that he was born Heinz Wuga in Nuremberg in 1924 and was sent to Glasgow on the Kindertransport in 1939 at the age of only 15; understands that he had a long and successful career in the catering business; appreciates that in 1999 he was awarded an MBE for his work with limbless ex-servicemen; celebrates the magnificent contribution he has made to Holocaust Education in Scotland alongside his late wife Ingrid Wuga BEM, also a Kindertransport child; notes that thousands of children and young people have heard directly from Henry and Ingrid about their experiences of the Holocaust; further notes the profound impact this has had on so many people who have heard them; acknowledges the vital importance of testimony such as Henry’s in ensuring a clear appreciation of what happened during the Holocaust and why it must never happen again; thanks him for his continued and tireless efforts in this regard; notes that his contributions have made a significant difference to education in Scotland; and thanks him for his selfless work for others; and hopes that he has a wonderful birthday.

896Chief Inspector John Menzies, East Dunbartonshire

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 2

Amy Callaghan

Allan Dorans

That this House recognises the contribution of Chief Inspector John Menzies during his two and a half years of service in the community; congratulates the Chief Inspector in securing a new role in Argyll and Bute; and wishes him well for the future.

897Brightest Star's 10th Anniversary

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 2

Gavin Newlands

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates Renfrewshire charity Brightest Star on reaching its 10th anniversary since being founded; notes the important work undertaken by the charity in supporting families who have suffered the bereavement of a young child; highlights the provision of paediatric first aid courses, bereavement support, and a specialised family ambulance, to families who need the charity’s support; praises in the highest terms the work of the charity’s founder, Arlene Smith, who founded the charity following the tragic death of her son Jack just six days before his 6th birthday; thanks all who have supported Brightest Star over the past decade; and welcomes the important work it has carried out since its formation and will carry out in future.

898NAO report and Common Platform

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 24

Liz Saville Roberts

John McDonnell

Ms Diane Abbott

Kim Johnson

Kate Hollern

Chris Stephens

That this House notes the National Audit Office's report on Progress on the Courts and Tribunals Reform Programme, which identifies numerous areas of concern around the Common Platform case management system, including tens of millions of pounds of financial waste and major problems of functionality and reliability; further notes the NAO's finding that His Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service did not receive sufficient assurance Common Platform was robust before rollout, leading to performance issues, or leave sufficient time to learn from early adopter sites; further notes that thousands of important notifications over a 15-month period failed to send due to system errors, including 35 cases where people were not electronically tagged, while HMCTS recorded 231 critical incidents in eight months affecting users nationally; notes that stakeholders reported the system design made user roles more difficult, with staff finding it stressful to record results of complex cases live in court, while poor software performance and stability led to page timeouts affecting live resulting and other high-risk processes; believes this report validates warnings by the Public and Commercial Services union that Common Platform affects the timeliness and quality of the delivery of justice and causes distress for users, leading to increased staff sickness absence and resignations; applauds PCS members for their ongoing industrial action against Common Platform, with targeted strikes by legal advisers and court associates since October 2022; and calls on the Government and HMCTS to suspend the use of Common Platform until NAO and PCS concerns are fully resolved.