Contents

Published: Monday 27 March 2023

Early Day Motions tabled on Friday 24 March 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

998McLaren’s Nurseries: 50th Anniversary

Tabled: 24/03/23 Signatories: 2

Alan Brown

Kirsten Oswald

That this House congratulates McLaren’s Nurseries on celebrating its 50th anniversary; notes McLaren’s Nurseries received a three-star rating from Visit Scotland in recognition of their very good standard of facilities and services, and was also rated the Scottish Small Business of the Year in 2020 by Enterprise Scotland; highlights that the 50th anniversary was marked with an Open Day on 23 March 2023, the first Open Day Event since the pandemic; and wishes the staff at McLaren’s Nurseries all the very best for the future.

999Merchants Café in Kirkcaldy

Tabled: 24/03/23 Signatories: 1

Neale Hanvey

That this House commends Marzena and Ricky Barclay and all of the staff at The Merchants Café Kirkcaldy on the success of their business since opening in 2020; recognises the contribution they have made to the town of Kirkcaldy, the community spirit they have brought to the area, and the support they offer to neighbouring businesses; applauds their dedication to offering high quality and homemade produce; congratulates them on their recent success at Scotlands Business Awards, winning Best New Coffee Shop in Fife and Best New Coffee Shop in Scotland; and wishes them continued success in the years to come.

1000Cartmore Building Supplies: UK Builders Merchant award

Tabled: 24/03/23 Signatories: 1

Neale Hanvey

That this House applauds Cartmore Building Supplies Lochgelly and Director, Gordon Banks, on their continued success and expansion; commends the ongoing contribution they have made to employment in Lochgelly and the surrounding area; appreciates their efforts to provide excellent customer service and value for money; congratulates them on their recent UK Builders Merchant Award for the Best Hard Landscaping display in the UK, a display covering over 1,000 square metres; recognises the excellence of products and local craftsmanship on show in the display; and wishes them continued growth in the coming years.

1001Allan Crow

Tabled: 24/03/23 Signatories: 1

Neale Hanvey

That this House recognises the commitment to providing high quality journalism by Allan Crow; celebrates his 30 years in post as Editor, firstly for the Glenrothes Gazette newspaper, followed by the Fife Free Press in Kirkcaldy; understands that Allan has been dedicated to the communities he serves and his profession since starting work as a cub sports reporter in his teenage years; appreciates his adherence to developing and maintaining an accurate, ethical and enjoyable news source in print and online; and wishes Allan continued success in the dynamic world of newspaper publishing.

1002Gavin McKenzie of Kirkcaldy Rugby Club

Tabled: 24/03/23 Signatories: 1

Neale Hanvey

That this House congratulates Gavin McKenzie on his 300th appearance for Kirkcaldy Rugby Club on 18 February 2023 in the match against Newton Stewart Rugby Football Club; recognises that this achievement constitutes a record number of senior games played for the Kirkcaldy club and that he is the first player to reach this significant milestone; understands that Gavin originally joined the club’s Wee Blues Kids Rugby program and made his first senior team appearance in 2006; pays tribute to his ability to be a great Blues team member, and to his skill and dedication to the game of rugby, and looks forward to him continuing to represent KRC well into the future.

1003Greg Wallace of Kirkcaldy Rugby Club

Tabled: 24/03/23 Signatories: 1

Neale Hanvey

That this House congratulates Greg Wallace on making his 300th appearance in the first XV for Kirkcaldy Rugby Club in the match against Berwick on 25 February 2023, which saw Kirkcaldy win at home 36-22; recognises that he is the second team member to achieve this record number of senior team appearances; appreciates his commitment to Kirkcaldy Rugby Club, returning from retirement to continue playing for the team he loves; acknowledges Greg’s skill as a dedicated team member and applauds his mastery of the rugby game throughout his Blues career, and wishes him well for many more Kirkcaldy Rugby Club appearances.

1004Big Yellow Friday 2023

Tabled: 24/03/23 Signatories: 2

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Sir Mike Penning

That this House notes that 31 March 2023 is Big Yellow Friday; congratulates the Children's Liver Disease Foundation on its work in raising awareness, promoting research and providing information and support for people affected by a life-threatening liver disease; further notes with concern that, every week, 20 children in the UK are diagnosed with a life-threatening childhood liver disease with no cure, meaning a lifetime of medical care; commends the work of the Children's Liver Disease Foundation for working tirelessly and investing to support families and fund research projects, which helps to understand and treat childhood liver diseases; further congratulates all those taking part in Big Yellow Friday 2023 for showing support for children affected by childhood liver disease and their families; and calls on the Government to work closely with all national liver-disease charities to help ensure that childhood liver diseases are understood, prevented and treated effectively, ensuring that babies, children, young people and adults diagnosed in childhood achieve their full potential.

1005St Patrick's Catholic Primary School

Tabled: 24/03/23 Signatories: 1

Kim Johnson

That this House congratulates St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School for their recent accreditation with the British Council International School Award; notes that this reflects their integration of an understanding of other cultures throughout their curriculum; and further notes that this is testament to the hard work of both pupils and staff and congratulates them on becoming a beacon of inclusion within the Liverpool 8 community.

1006Taylor Wimpey World Book Day donation

Tabled: 24/03/23 Signatories: 1

Margaret Ferrier

That this House thanks Taylor Wimpey West Scotland for their generous World Book Day donation of £250 to each of the libraries at Hamilton Schools St Mark’s Primary and Woodhead Primary; recognises that this donation will enable the schools to provide pupils with a wealth of new books to enjoy; congratulates the recipients of said donations; and celebrates World Book Day and all it does in encouraging children to enjoy reading.

1007Azeem Ahmed’s work on inclusive clothing

Tabled: 24/03/23 Signatories: 1

Margaret Ferrier

That this House congratulates Azeem Ahmed, from Rutherglen, on his work for people with physical disabilities like him; recognises his commitment to creating accessible clothing; commends his aspiration to further the representation of physical disabilities in the fashion industry; appreciates the work he is doing to inspire others to pursue their creative passions; and wishes him the best in all his future endeavours.

1008Ingenza: 20th anniversary

Tabled: 24/03/23 Signatories: 1

Owen Thompson

That this House joins Midlothian-based engineering biology firm Ingenza, in celebrating 20 years of innovation; notes that, over the last 20 years, Ingenza has engineered and improved biological systems to help with the production of biofuels, sustainable plastic manufacturing and next-generation coronavirus vaccines; further notes that Ingenza's success is testament to the Midlothian Science Zone, and commends all those working towards pioneering ground-breaking applied bioscience innovations.

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.

981Ministry of Defence staff pay

Tabled: 20/03/23 Signatories: 25

Rebecca Long Bailey

Jon Trickett

Jim Shannon

Kate Osborne

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Grahame Morris

This House notes that, due to the cost of living crisis, the increase to the National Living Wage in April 2023 will be welcomed by many low waged families; expresses regret that it will also result in unwelcome consequences for many workers in the Ministry of Defence; notes that these workers include Ministry of Defence guards, cleaners, workers in stores areas and workers maintaining and refuelling military aircrafts; further notes the uplift means that Ministry of Defence workers on skill zone 1 will automatically be upgraded to a higher rate of pay, unlike skill zone 2 workers; acknowledges this means that both skill zone 1 and 2 will receive a new rate of £10.42 per hour; is concerned that this will result in the immediate erosion of the skill zone pay differential; rejects any proposals by the Ministry of Defence to arbitrarily change gross hours to net hours in an effort to deflect these pay implications; calls on the Ministry of Defence to urgently compensate all affected workers; is concerned to learn that many hardworking Ministry of Defence staff are forced to rely on foodbanks to make ends meet whilst diligently supporting and defending our country; recognises the important work Unite the Union is doing to fight for their members on this issue; and calls on the Government to pay Ministry of Defence workers fairly.

983Freedom Day in Belarus

Tabled: 20/03/23 Signatories: 7

Tony Lloyd

Jim Shannon

Wayne David

Ben Lake

Liz Saville Roberts

Hywel Williams

That this House expresses its support for Belarusians celebrating Freedom Day on 25 March to mark that day in 1918 when Belarus gained its independence; notes that the fraudulent Belarusian presidential election in 2020, in which Alexander Lukashenko falsely declared victory over Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, resulted in peaceful mass protests against the Lukashenko regime and the fraudulent election, followed by severe reprisals and repression; considers Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to be the leader of a democratic Belarus and commends the courage and determination of the opposition in exile working towards democratic governance in that country; calls on the authoritarian Lukashenko regime to release the thousands of political prisoners, drop the prosecution in absentia of the Belarusian opposition in exile, uphold freedoms of expression, association and assembly, and end its support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; and requests that the Government provides further support to Belarusians in exile, to expand and tighten its sanctions regime against Belarusians responsible for serious and systematic human rights violations, and to join calls for the opening of a BBC Belarusian service and the suspension of Belarus from Interpol and UEFA.

984Telecoms price increases

Tabled: 20/03/23 Signatories: 10

Tony Lloyd

Jon Trickett

Jim Shannon

Nadia Whittome

Kate Osborne

Jonathan Edwards

That this House condemns the announced plans by the UK’s largest telecoms companies for above-inflation mid-contract price increases; highlights reports that O2 plans to increase prices by 17.3 per cent while BT, EE, Vodafone, Three, Plusnet Mobile and Talkmobile plan to increase prices by 14.4 per cent and Virgin Media plans to increase prices by an average of 13.8 per cent; emphasises that this comes following Ofcom saying in September 2022 that a record eight million UK households were already facing problems paying mobile, broadband, pay-TV and streaming bills; further highlights that Ofcom has expressed concern about the level of uncertainty customers face about future price rises; notes that Ofcom has launched a review into this; would welcome urgent action by Ofcom; and calls on telecoms companies to reconsider these significant price increases at a time when millions are already struggling with the cost of living.

987Prison education

Tabled: 20/03/23 Signatories: 34

Zarah Sultana

Kim Johnson

Kate Osamor

Apsana Begum

Liz Saville Roberts

John McDonnell

That this House notes the importance of prison education being at the heart of rehabilitation, and its power to unlock potential and reduce reoffending; is alarmed by the dire state of prison education, with experts and authoritative bodies including the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Ofsted and the Education Select Committee warning of poor outcomes due to a lack of learning by prisoners; believes the current for-profit system of prison education wastes millions of pounds of public money each year and encourages a race to the bottom between the four main providers in terms of quality of education, suitability of curricula and conditions of staff employment; and therefore calls on the Government to use their pledged launch of a Prisoner Education Service to bring the delivery of prison education back into the public sector, with standardised qualifications, curricula and staff contracts.

988Epilepsy Scotland and Purple Day

Tabled: 20/03/23 Signatories: 14

Kirsten Oswald

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

Dave Doogan

Ronnie Cowan

Dr Philippa Whitford

That this House recognises and is grateful for the important work carried out by Epilepsy Scotland, who fight to reduce the stigma experienced by people living with epilepsy, and to influence public policy to ensure appropriate support is available for those living with the condition; notes epilepsy is the most common neurological condition with an estimated 55,000 people living with the condition in Scotland; further notes that Epilepsy Scotland provides a range of services including a helpline, a check-in service, a youth service, a well-being service and online support groups; understands that Epilepsy Scotland is currently conducting a survey to investigate the links between mental health issues and epilepsy; further recognises that Sunday 26 March 2023 is Purple Day, a time where thousands of people across the globe will come together to start conversations about epilepsy, raise awareness of the condition and to fundraise; acknowledges that Epilepsy Scotland is encouraging people to wear the colour purple and lighting buildings purple to mark the occasion; and wishes Epilepsy Scotland all the very best in continuing their important work.

99040th anniversary of East Kilbride Credit Union

Tabled: 21/03/23 Signatories: 5

Dr Lisa Cameron

Jim Shannon

Margaret Ferrier

Chris Law

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates East Kilbride Credit Union on their 40th anniversary; commends their success in increasing accessible savings and credit facilities for people across East Kilbride; notes their expansion with a recent digital drive to improve inclusion and accessibility; recognises East Kilbride Credit Union’s ethos and dedication to serving the public, including those most vulnerable, thereby setting an example to other financial service providers; and wishes East Kilbride Credit Union every success for the future.

99250th anniversary of I Will Always Love You

Tabled: 21/03/23 Signatories: 38

Jim Shannon

Kirsten Oswald

Olivia Blake

Nadia Whittome

Cat Smith

Tim Farron

That this House celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Dolly Parton's hit song I Will Always Love You; notes the sentiment behind this song and what it means to so many, including the wife of the hon. Member for Strangford; highlights the contribution this song and her music in general to the industry, especially in the late 1960s, early 1970s and over the last 50 years; further notes the large scale event held at the weekend in Dolly Parton's multi-million dollar theme park at Pigeon Forge in East Tennessee as part of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the song, that was written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Peter Wagoner; and wishes Dolly continued success as she entertains and encourages so many through her music and inspirational character.

996UN International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Tabled: 23/03/23 Signatories: 32

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Nadia Whittome

Jeremy Corbyn

Anne McLaughlin

Caroline Lucas

Kim Johnson

That this House recognises the UN International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade; calls on the UK Government to offer a full formal apology, for the destructive and exploitative actions of the British Empire, including but not limited to, the Empire’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and colonisation; demands that this apology goes beyond the expressions of deep regret that have been made by previous Prime Ministers; recognises that no amount of money could ever fully make amends for the atrocities inflicted by the British Empire, but that meaningful steps can be taken to atone for past actions and the lasting impact those actions continue to have; applauds the Government of the Netherlands who issued a formal apology for the past actions of the Dutch State; welcomes the apology from the Trevelyan family, an aristocratic British family, for their ownership of slaves and their commitment to reparations; calls on the UK Government to follow these examples; notes that during the time of the Empire, Britain pillaged and looted several cultural artefacts from other nations, including art, jewellery, gems, treasures and even human remains, many of which are on display in UK museums, universities and institutions; is aware that Britain was not alone in these actions; welcomes the announcements from several museums, universities and institutions across Europe who have agreed to return stolen artifacts; and further calls on the Government to engage in meaningful conversations around reparations including the restitution of stolen artifacts.