Contents

Published: Tuesday 28 February 2023

Early Day Motions tabled on Monday 27 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

903Strathaven Choral Society's 50th anniversary

Tabled: 27/02/23 Signatories: 1

Dr Lisa Cameron

That this House congratulates Strathaven Choral Society on reaching its 50th anniversary; notes its significant achievements in involving the local community in choral music over those five decades; recognises the founder, the late David Knox, whose inspiration, vision and high standards have been continued by his successors; applauds the current Musical Director, Christopher Barr, for his skill, enthusiasm and patience in striving to maintain and improve the fine performance and reputation of the choir; acknowledges the accompanists, amateur and professional musicians alike who have participated in not only enriching the music-making, but also bringing enjoyment to members and audiences throughout the Society’s history; and commends the commitment and enthusiasm of Linda Ormiston, Honorary President and loyal ambassador, as well as the Society’s hard-working committee members, choir members past and present, supporters and friends, for the achievements, awards and experiences of the Society over the past 50 years of bringing choral music to the community.

90460th anniversary of Nicholl Oils and electric vehicle charging rollout

Tabled: 27/02/23 Signatories: 1

Mr Gregory Campbell

That this House notes the continuing success of locally-owned family businesses such as Nicholl Oils, based in Greysteel County Londonderry; congratulates them on over 60 years of trading, and the recent joint development the firm has announced with renewable company Everun to roll out one of the largest independently-owned and operated network of electric vehicle charging points across Northern Ireland; and wishes them years of continued success.

905Formula One in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and human rights

Tabled: 27/02/23 Signatories: 1

Wendy Chamberlain

That this House expresses grave concerns over the role of Formula One and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile in sportswashing the appalling human rights records of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia; notes that Saudi Arabia executed 81 prisoners in one day in 2022, while Bahrain imprisons its population at the highest rate of any country in the Middle East and North Africa region, with an estimated 1,300 political prisoners; condemns F1’s refusal to engage with key stakeholders including human rights groups, such as the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy when awarding Bahrain the longest contract in F1 history, breaching F1’s own policy; urges the Government to support an an independent and impartial inquiry to assess the implications of F1 races in human rights violation, the adequacy and effectiveness of F1’s current human rights policy, or lack thereof, and its implementation and their responses to evidence of serious human rights violations in F1 host countries; further urges the Government to support calls for the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile to adopt a human rights policy consistent with the UN’s Guiding Principle on Business and Human Rights; further condemns the ongoing imprisonment of political leaders in F1 host nations including Bahrain; and calls on the Government to use all available leverage to make representations to Bahrain for them to immediately and unconditionally release political prisoners, including Hassan Mushaima, Dr Abdulajalil AlSingace, Sheikh Ali Salman, Abdulhali AlKhawaja, Ali AlHajee, Najee Fateel, Sayed Nizar Alwadaei and death row inmates Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa.

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: 12

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.

862Ukrainian refugees and driving in the UK

Tabled: 20/02/23 Signatories: 6

Siobhain McDonagh

Jim Shannon

Hywel Williams

Ben Lake

Liz Saville Roberts

Patrick Grady

That this House calls on the Government to support Ukrainian refugees who have made the journey to the UK by car to be able to use them without needing to undergo a permanent import and registration to UK number plates for the duration of their stay in the UK; and believes this would vastly simplify the process and bring the legal position of Ukrainian refugees into alignment with that of overseas students and workers who bring their cars to the UK on a temporary basis, as well as to similar concessions provided by other European countries in response to the humanitarian crisis.

86440th anniversary of the Dance School of Scotland

Tabled: 20/02/23 Signatories: 5

Carol Monaghan

Jim Shannon

Hannah Bardell

Allan Dorans

Patrick Grady

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: 18

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: 10

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.

87140th anniversary of Belfast City Airport

Tabled: 20/02/23 Signatories: 5

Jim Shannon

Gavin Robinson

Carla Lockhart

Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson

Patrick Grady

That this House notes the 40th anniversary of Belfast City Airport, situated in County Down; further notes its tremendous history in administering flights to multiple destinations, including within the United Kingdom, and also abroad to areas in Europe such as Amsterdam; highlights the variety of the numerous airlines that reside with Belfast City Airport, such as British Airways, Emerald Airlines, KLM, Easyjet and Logan Air, which provide readily available and comfortable flights, including over 80 weekly flights io the capital city of London and other cities such as Glasgow and Cardiff, where thousands travel weekly for work and leisure; further highlights the kind and efficient nature of all staff in security, front desks, and airline handlers, who go above and beyond to ensure experiences are enjoyable and most important safe for all; and sincerely thanks Belfast City Airport for their contributions and importance to the Northern Ireland travel economy and wishes them every success for the future.

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

Tabled: 21/02/23 Signatories: 5

Brendan O'Hara

Jim Shannon

Angus Brendan MacNeil

Allan Dorans

Patrick Grady

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: 8

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.

881St Helens Rugby Football Club

Tabled: 21/02/23 Signatories: 11

Ms Marie Rimmer

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

Tracey Crouch

Margaret Ferrier

Conor McGinn

That this House congratulates St Helens Rugby Football Club, its coach Paul Wellens, former coach Kristian Woolf, chairman Eamonn McManus, captain James Roby and all the players, staff and loyal supporters of the club that successfully won its third World Club Challenge; applauds the extraordinary achievement of the club for being the first English side to win the trophy in Australia since 1994; and commends the team on showing the world that the English Super League is the best league in the world.

882Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria (No. 2)

Tabled: 21/02/23 Signatories: 12

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.

883Local Government

Tabled: 22/02/23 Signatories: 8

Andy McDonald

John McDonnell

Jon Trickett

Claudia Webbe

Mick Whitley

Richard Burgon

That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, praying that the Middlesbrough Development Corporation (Establishment) Order 2023 (S.I., 2023, No. 103), dated 30 January 2023, a copy of which was laid before this House on 6 February 2023, be annulled.

893VAT on audiobooks

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 15

Sir Mike Penning

Dr Philippa Whitford

Margaret Ferrier

Allan Dorans

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

Deidre Brock

That this House recognises that audio books, now popular and widely available across all genres; from business to academic, from historical to self help, are a lifeline for many people with sight loss, visual impairment, dyslexia or other reading disabilities; agrees that audio books offer unique opportunities for visually-impaired and dyslexic people to improve their education on a par with their peers; recognises that audio books enable visually-impaired and dyslexic people to continue working independently for longer and thereby contribute to the economy for longer; recognises that audio books open up a world of information, literature and poetry to visually-impaired and dyslexic people; welcomes the zero-rate VAT for e-books but also recognises that e-books, when read aloud by automated text-to-speech, are difficult to listen to for long periods, lack intonation, may mispronounce names and places, can often read out every bracket and notation, making it difficult to comprehend or recall meaning; notes that other European countries have recently reduced their rates of VAT on audiobooks, including Norway to zero; and calls for equal VAT-status to be applied to audio books as already exists for e-books and physical books.

894Warm Home Discount Scheme

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 6

Steve McCabe

Valerie Vaz

Caroline Lucas

Mrs Paulette Hamilton

Jonathan Edwards

Charlotte Nichols

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.

896Chief Inspector John Menzies, East Dunbartonshire

Tabled: 23/02/23 Signatories: 3

Amy Callaghan

Allan Dorans

Patrick Grady

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: 3

Gavin Newlands

Allan Dorans

Patrick Grady

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: 25

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.

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

Tabled: 24/02/23 Signatories: 2

Martin Docherty-Hughes

Jim Shannon

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: 13

Valerie Vaz

Richard Foord

Jonathan Edwards

Mary Kelly Foy

Jamie Stone

David Mundell

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: 4

Daisy Cooper

Richard Foord

Jonathan Edwards

Jim Shannon

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: 3

Brendan O'Hara

Jim Shannon

Patrick Grady

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.