Commons business papers

Contents

Published: Friday 21 July 2023

Early Day Motions tabled on Thursday 20 July 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

1520Citizens Advice Living On Empty Report

Tabled: 20/07/23 Signatories: 1

David Linden

That this House expresses concern at research published by Citizens Advice in its Living on Empty report, which indicates that more than half the people whom Citizens Advice helps with debt cannot cover the basic cost of living, even after receiving expert advice; notes that the report outlines that essential costs have outpaced the income of people who are helped through Citizens Advice debt advice service; further notes that the annual income that the people Citizens advice help with debt advice need to avoid a negative budget has more than doubled since 2019 from around £7,000 to more than £15,000; is concerned that the number of people across the country whose monthly income isn’t enough to pay for their essentials has more than doubled in the last two years, from one in 20 to one in 10 UK households; and commends Citizens Advice for the lifeline service that it provides to people across the country as it is faced with increasing demands for its service.

1521Spider Arts National Lottery Community Fund Grant

Tabled: 20/07/23 Signatories: 1

Chris Stephens

That this House congratulates Spider Arts based in the Glasgow South West constituency on its award of a £9,980 National Lottery Community Fund grant; understands that this grant will be used to purchase a mobile art therapy bus to support children and young people experiencing emotional and mental health issues; recognises that Spider Arts uses arts and crafts as a way to help children to improve their overall health and to enhance the communities that it serves; and wishes Spider Arts the best with all its future endeavours.

1522Govan HELP National Lottery Community Fund Grant

Tabled: 20/07/23 Signatories: 1

Chris Stephens

That this House congratulates Govan HELP based in the Glasgow South West constituency on its award of a £20,800 National Lottery Community Fund grant; understands that this funding will be used to provide Govan Pantry with funds to purchase food for the next 12 months and to provide relief for families and individuals in need of food support; recognises that Govan HELP provides a valuable service for families and individuals needing food and emotional support; and wishes Crookston Community Group the best with all its future endeavours.

1523Crookston Community Group National Lottery Community Fund Grant

Tabled: 20/07/23 Signatories: 1

Chris Stephens

That this House congratulates Crookston Community Group based in the Glasgow South West constituency on its award of a £10,000 National Lottery Community Fund grant; understands that this funding will be used to provide community food events and relief for families and individuals in need of food support; recognises that Crookston Community Group provides a valuable service for families and individuals needing food and emotional support; and wishes Crookston Community Group the best with all its future endeavours.

1524Ronald McDonald House Glasgow National Lottery Community Fund Grant

Tabled: 20/07/23 Signatories: 1

Chris Stephens

That this House congratulates Ronald McDonald House Glasgow in Glasgow South West constituency on its award of a £9,686 National Lottery Community Fund grant; understands that this funding will be used to provide new toys for children and to refurbish a bathroom to further support families with a home from home during difficult times; recognises that Ronald McDonald House Glasgow provides a valuable service for families needing to travel for treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital; and wishes Ronald McDonald House Glasgow the best with all its future endeavours.

1525Azhaf Ejaz Winner of Scottish Mathematical Challenge 2023

Tabled: 20/07/23 Signatories: 1

Chris Stephens

That this House congratulates Azhaf Ejaz from St Monica's Primary in Pollok on winning a gold medal in 2023’s Mathematical Challenge; further recognizes Azhaf's achievement in winning the coveted Scottish Mathematical Council Mug in the same competition; commends the Scottish Mathematical Council, which has organised the event for pupils since 1976; notes that the competition challenges junior mathematicians from across Scotland to answer 12 increasingly difficult problems by themselves; recognises Azhaf's further achievement in winning a Gold Award from the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust, an award which encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques; further recognises that this prize is normally contested by children in High Schools and that as an exceptional student, Azaf was invited to participate via Lourdes Academy, which he will attend in the future; and sends our best wishes to Azhaf for an undoubtedly bright and positive future.

1526Bridgeton St Francis-In-The-East 150th anniversary

Tabled: 20/07/23 Signatories: 1

Alison Thewliss

That this House congratulates Bridgeton St Francis-In-The-East church on its 150th anniversary; notes its contribution to communities in the east end of Glasgow since the church was built in 1873; appreciates the beautiful artwork contained in the church building, such as the two murals St. Francis by Pritchard, Glasgow School of Art Principal and The life of Christ in Bridgeton by Alisdair Gray and Alastair Hood; and wishes the church and all attendees the best for the future.

1527Holocaust Memorial and Victoria Tower Gardens

Tabled: 20/07/23 Signatories: 1

Sir Peter Bottomley

That this House notes that the Government said in proposals in September 2018 that the Holocaust Memorial would take up 15 per cent of the area of Victoria Tower Gardens and that that percentage was later reduced to 7 per cent; questions whether one calculation was of the green space and the other related to the whole park; and asks the Government to ask the President of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors to make sensible, reliable, consistent calculations, including an estimate of how much of the gardens would be blocked off for what period if present proposals are not changed.

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.

1426Bullying and respect at work

Tabled: 6/07/23 Signatories: 27

Rachael Maskell

Ian Mearns

Kim Johnson

Charlotte Nichols

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

Caroline Lucas

That this House notes that 15 per cent of people have experienced bullying at work in the UK which is not related to any protected characteristic; observes that this amounts to 4.9 million people employed in the UK; further notes that the Health and Safety Executive highlights that 17 million days of work were lost last year due to work related stress, depression or anxiety; believes that bullying at work can have a significant impact on someone’s mental health and can lead to the loss of employment for the target of the bullying; further notes that workplace conflict is costing UK companies £28.5 billion each year; and calls on the Government to provide for a statutory definition of bullying at work, no matter the workplace or employment status, to enable people to bring their case to an Employment Tribunal, to give the Equality and Human Rights Commission new powers to investigate organisations and to take enforcement action where there is evidence of bullying and to establish and promote a respect at work code to set minimum standards for positive and respectful work environments.

1428Profits and inflation

Tabled: 6/07/23 Signatories: 27

Debbie Abrahams

Jon Trickett

Dan Carden

John McDonnell

Richard Burgon

Olivia Blake

That this House notes the Bank of England’s decision in June to increase interest rates to five per cent, the 13th consecutive rise; believes that while inflation must be reduced and contained, ordinary British people are not the drivers of inflation, including core inflation, and that there is evidence of profiteering by some banks and businesses; and resolves to ask the Financial Conduct Authority as the regulator of the banking industry to investigate (a) potential profiteering by some banks, for example, an extra £7 billion in profits directly from interest rate rises was reported in March from the big four banks: Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and Nat West, (b) the guidance banks will be required to issue to borrowers, for example, temporary switches to interest only mortgage payments and lengthening the term of their mortgage period, (c) actions taken by banks under the Mortgage Charter to ameliorate repayment increases and (d) actions taken by banks to compensate savers after interest rate increases.

1441Poverty truth commissions

Tabled: 10/07/23 Signatories: 16

Rebecca Long Bailey

Kim Johnson

Mick Whitley

Rachael Maskell

Nadia Whittome

Ian Lavery

That this House commends the role of poverty truth commissions in bringing people who have lived experience of the struggle against poverty directly into decision making about tackling poverty; acknowledges that those with lived experience have often been left out of policy making, even though their perspective and insight can rule out ineffective proposals and suggest new, powerful solutions; calls for the Government and all policy makers to engage with local poverty truth commissions and the Poverty Truth Network with due seriousness and urgency given the cost of living crisis; wishes success to Salford Poverty Truth Commission’s second round of work launched June 2023, following a highly impactful first round launched in 2016; and gives thanks to everyone involved both past and present in all poverty truth commissions.

1443Infected Blood scheme second interim compensation payment

Tabled: 10/07/23 Signatories: 11

Sir Mike Penning

Jonathan Edwards

Jim Shannon

Margaret Ferrier

Alison Thewliss

Chris Stephens

That this House recognises that the Government has acted on the recommendations set out in the first interim report of the Infected Blood Inquiry, with interim compensation payments made to individuals infected by infected blood; further recognises that interim compensation payments to bereaved partners and families affected by the infected blood scandal are under active consideration; and calls on the Government to further recognise the extreme urgency and life-limiting situation facing individuals who received and were infected by infected blood and make an immediate second interim compensation payment.

1446Thistle Du Florist, Darvel

Tabled: 10/07/23 Signatories: 8

Alan Brown

Jim Shannon

Alison Thewliss

Chris Stephens

Allan Dorans

Chris Law

This House congratulates Thistle Du Florist, an exceptional family business in Darvel, for their outstanding accomplishment as the prestigious Wedding Florist of the Year 2023/2024 in the Prestige Awards; acknowledges their commitment to delivering customer service; celebrates their dedication to excellence, creativity, and positive impact on the local community; commends Thistle Du for their support for and involvement in many wider community events and initiatives; and wishes Heather Martin and Thistle Du every success going forward as an embedded community business.

1452Holodomor in Ukraine, 1932-1933

Tabled: 11/07/23 Signatories: 14

Patricia Gibson

Allan Dorans

Jonathan Edwards

Mary Kelly Foy

Chris Law

Patrick Grady

That this House recognises the Holodomor of 1932-33 in Ukraine as a genocide of the Ukrainian people; considers that the Holodomor, literally meaning extermination by hunger, was a deliberate campaign of starvation and violence carried out by the Soviet regime against the people of Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of millions; understands that Holodomor was part of Joseph Stalin’s revolution from above which, from 1932 to 1933, inflicted a terror famine on the collectivised peasants of the Ukraine, Kuban and other areas of high Ukrainian ethnicity; notes that Stalin raised Ukraine’s grain procurement quotas by 44%, meaning there was not enough food to feed the peasants, as the law required that no grain from a collective farm could be given to members until the regime’s quota had been met; understands that, due to the secrecy imposed by the former Soviet Union, it is difficult to know how many perished during the Holodomor of 1932-33; further notes, however, research suggesting up to seven and a half million innocent people may have died as a direct result of the Soviet-imposed famine; further understands that, during the height of the famine, international offers of aid and support were turned down by the regime, while vital food stores were allowed to rot in warehouses under armed guard; is aware that many members of the Ukrainian community in Scotland lost relatives during the Holodomor; and calls on the Russian Federation, as the primary successor of the Soviet Union, to apologise for perpetrating genocide on the Ukrainian people.

1454Archdiocese of Liverpool and the Lourdes centenary year

Tabled: 11/07/23 Signatories: 9

Conor McGinn

Mike Amesbury

Ms Marie Rimmer

Martin Docherty-Hughes

Sir George Howarth

Patrick Grady

This House notes the centenary of the first pilgrimage from the Archdiocese of Liverpool to Lourdes; sends warm good wishes to all those from parishes across the Archdiocese taking part in this year’s 100th anniversary pilgrimage; remembers those hundreds of thousands of faithful who have visited the shrine at Lourdes in devotion to Our Lady and Saint Bernadette over the last century; acknowledges the leadership of the Most Reverend Archbishop Malcolm McMahon and thanks him, the Catholic clergy, religious and laity of the Archdiocese for their faith and witness; and hopes for the continued closeness and co-operation between the Christian Churches in Liverpool and strong relations between all faith communities in the city and region.

1458Launch of the Our Story Is One campaign

Tabled: 11/07/23 Signatories: 10

Daisy Cooper

Sir Mike Penning

Mr Alistair Carmichael

Nadia Whittome

Liz Saville Roberts

Hywel Williams

That this House notes the launch of the Our Story Is One campaign; recalls that in 1983 10 Baha’i women were executed for their religious beliefs; observes that this campaign links the 40th anniversary of this infamous event with the increasing loss of life of women and girls in Iran since the killing of Mahsa Amini in September 2022; and affirms the goals of the campaign to support gender equality, ending violence against women and freedom of religion or belief in Iran.

1463Mileage Allowance Payments

Tabled: 12/07/23 Signatories: 8

Ben Lake

Liz Saville Roberts

Hywel Williams

John McDonnell

Claire Hanna

Rachael Maskell

That this House recognises that Mileage Allowance Payments require urgent review; is concerned about the impact on those who rely on their cars and personal vehicles for work; acknowledges that the Competition and Markets Authority has found that average supermarket fuel margins increased by six pence a litre between 2019 and 2022, which resulted in an additional cost of around £900m for customers of the four supermarket fuel retailers in 2022 alone; notes that research by Unison found that one in five frontline public service workers are required to drive to do their job and that they are paid significantly lower than average wages, especially those working in social care; highlights that those with the highest mileage can be left thousands of pounds out of pocket with many forced to use foodbanks and to take out loans to make ends meet; further recognises that the failure to raise mileage rates is particularly detrimental to those in the voluntary sector, which is making it difficult for charities to recruit new volunteer drivers; is concerned that this is excluding many people from the benefits which volunteering brings both to individuals and their communities; and calls on the Government to ensure that rates are regularly updated in order to better reflect the cost of using a vehicle for work and volunteering, and to abolish the cap which sees drivers receive a reduced rate if they drive over 10,000 miles in the tax year.

1466Taylor MacKenzie, Special Olympics World Games 2023 champion

Tabled: 12/07/23 Signatories: 8

Chris Law

Stewart Hosie

Dave Doogan

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

Anne McLaughlin

That this House congratulates Dundee’s Taylor MacKenzie on her success at the Special Olympics World Games 2023 in Berlin, Germany; celebrates Taylor’s gold medal success in both the 200m freestyle and 400m freestyle races, finishing with World Games records of 02:33.07 and 05:26.63 respectively; notes that Taylor was the only Scottish swimmer to compete for the Great Britain team; recognises Taylor’s supporters who have helped her reach this stage, including her parents Richard and Lisa, her club Monifieth Swimming Club and the Fife firm T&N Gilmartin, who helped sponsor Taylor’s participation in the Games; and wishes Taylor all the success in her future competitions.

1469Campbeltown Courier 150th anniversary

Tabled: 12/07/23 Signatories: 6

Brendan O'Hara

Chris Law

Patrick Grady

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

Drew Hendry

That this House sends its warmest congratulates to everyone at the Campbeltown Courier as they celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first edition of the newspaper which was printed in July 1873; sincerely thanks all of the staff and owners, past and present, for their unwavering commitment to their community by providing a weekly printed newspaper for the past century and a half; believes that the Campbeltown Courier’s longevity and continued strong readership reflect the integral role the paper has played, and continues to play, in the lives of people and communities, not just in Campbeltown but right across Kintyre and the islands as well; recognises the positive impact that good, local journalism and a quality local newspaper can have on a community; and wishes the staff and owners continued success.

1470School libraries and librarians

Tabled: 13/07/23 Signatories: 35

Margaret Greenwood

Jonathan Edwards

Jon Trickett

Mary Kelly Foy

John McDonnell

Charlotte Nichols

That this House recognises the importance of encouraging children to enjoy books from an early age and of developing a culture of reading for pleasure in schools; notes that evidence suggests that school libraries lead to better literacy and educational outcomes, higher attainment, improved wellbeing and contribute to the delivery of a well-rounded education; further notes that school libraries can play a part in improving outcomes for children with special educational needs; is concerned that, according to the 2023 report by the Great School Libraries campaign, 14% of primary schools in the UK do not have a library, while even where provision exists, most primary schools use their library space for other purposes; is further concerned that the same report revealed the number of UK secondary schools with a library on site has dropped by 10% since 2019; acknowledges that there is significant variation across the UK in terms of school library provision and that this is leading to restricted reading choices for children; believes that urgent work must be done across the UK to enable school leaders to develop school libraries so that pupils can take advantage of the benefits they can deliver in relation to learning, reading, writing, wellbeing and happiness; and further believes that every school in the UK should have a library with access to a professional librarian, library staff or a schools library service.

1473Access to State Pension for people diagnosed with a terminal illness

Tabled: 17/07/23 Signatories: 30

Dave Doogan

John McDonnell

Marion Fellows

Claire Hanna

Martin Docherty-Hughes

Kenny MacAskill

That this House notes that those with terminal illnesses cannot currently access their State Pension until retirement age; recognises that this is the case even for individuals who have made full National Insurance contributions; acknowledges that poverty rates are disproportionately high amongst the terminally ill; commends research by Loughborough University showing that granting State Pensions to this group would almost halve the rate of poverty within this cohort while costing only £144 million per year, just 0.1% of the annual State Pension bill; and calls on the Government to allow early access to State Pensions for people diagnosed with a terminal illness.

1474Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign survey

Tabled: 17/07/23 Signatories: 18

Patricia Gibson

John McDonnell

Marion Fellows

Claire Hanna

Martin Docherty-Hughes

Deidre Brock

That this House welcomes the publication of the findings of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign survey, which documents the devastating impact of continuing unfair pension treatment of 1950s-born WASPI women; is deeply concerned about the survey's key findings, that one in four of the women affected by this pension scandal have struggled to buy food and basic essentials in the last six months, whilst a third have fallen into debt in the last six months; notes its findings that 61 per cent of those surveyed reported a range of lost employment opportunities, with 32 per cent of women being unable to secure alternative employment after attempting to re-join the workforce; recognises the mental, physical and emotional toll of additional years of work, of which these women were unaware and so for which they could not plan; calls on the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to speedily conclude its investigations; and urges the Government to respond promptly to the Ombudsman's report and make clear that it will recognise and recompense the injustices and suffering caused to WASPI women, of which one dies every thirteen minutes.

1476Vegan food and allergens education

Tabled: 17/07/23 Signatories: 6

Christina Rees

John McDonnell

Ian Lavery

Richard Burgon

Jim Shannon

Rachael Maskell

That this House notes that the Chartered Trading Standards Institute has released new data reporting that inspectors from Hampshire and Kent Scientific Services found 24 out of 61 products, or 39%, marked as vegan contained traces of egg or dairy, including 13 dairy alternatives and 48 meat alternatives; further notes that some people confuse the label vegan with the meaning free from allergens; recognises the importance of proper labelling to reduce the risk and potential danger for people with severe allergies to animal products; and therefore calls on the Government to introduce education to ensure consumers understand that vegan does not necessarily mean free from allergens.

1481The two-child benefit cap

Tabled: 17/07/23 Signatories: 30

Jon Trickett

Ms Diane Abbott

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Kim Johnson

Mick Whitley

John McDonnell

That this House strongly opposes the continuation of the cruel and unnecessary two child limit for benefits, introduced by the Government in 2017; notes that recent research shows that one in 10 children live in households affected by the two-child limit, that is 1.5 million children; highlights the University of York and Nuffield Trust report which states that the two child limit along with the benefit cap have contributed to the rising levels of child poverty and that they are poverty-producing policies; strongly advocates scrapping the two child limit, noting the House of Commons Library data that shows if the cap was removed it would lift 270,000 households out of poverty at a cost of just £1.4 billion, far less than the Government’s £5 billion claim; and finally notes that the current Government has overseen a huge increase in child poverty since 2010, with a majority of children living in poverty in households where at least one adult is in work.

1482St Kilda sheep deaths

Tabled: 17/07/23 Signatories: 5

Angus Brendan MacNeil

John McDonnell

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

Rachael Maskell

That this House recognises that all sheep in the islands of the UK are protected animals under the respective animal welfare legislation, apart from the feral Soay and Boreray sheep on the St Kilda archipelago, for which the Scottish government have created an exception, thereby leaving them subject to high levels of mortality as a result of winter starvation, averaging a thousand animals dying each year across the three flocks; notes that society would not tolerate this level of unnecessary suffering in any more accessible location; calls on the Scottish government to reconsider this decision and to include the sheep as protected animals under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006; and urges the National Trust for Scotland, as owners and managers of St. Kilda, to implement active measures to ensure the population stability of the flocks and safeguard the wellbeing of the sheep, both individually and collectively.

1485Kinship carers

Tabled: 18/07/23 Signatories: 16

Grahame Morris

Munira Wilson

Kim Johnson

Jim Shannon

Mary Kelly Foy

Kate Hollern

That this House recognises the important role played by kinship carers in keeping children out of the care system, providing the love and stability children need by bringing up a relative or friend's child; acknowledges the work of leading national charity Kinship, which offers free support and advice to kinship families; notes the key findings in Kinship's Forced Out report, which highlights the difficulties Kinship carers have in the workplace and their lack of support; further notes The Cost of Loving: Annual Survey of Kinship Carers 2022, which sets out the extraordinary lengths that kinship carers go to in order to provide a loving and stable home in a worsening cost-of-living crisis; supports Kinship’s #ValueOurLove campaign, which calls for greater support for kinship carers, including a right to paid kinship care leave, a mandatory financial allowance, better employment advice and support and employers introducing kinship friendly employment policies for all kinship carers; and calls on the Government to recognise the vital role that kinship carers play by increasing financial support to kinship carers to allow children to stay with loving families they know.

1487Free school meals for all in Scotland campaign

Tabled: 18/07/23 Signatories: 3

Neale Hanvey

Jim Shannon

Rachael Maskell

That this House notes with concern the impact of child and family poverty in Scotland, where almost one in four children, which equates to 250,000 children, are officially recognised as living in relative poverty; welcomes the Free school meals for all in Scotland campaign led by Scotland’s largest teaching union, the Educational Institute for Scotland, the Scottish Trades Union Congress Women’s Committee and The Sunday Mail, which calls for every child and young person attending school to have guaranteed access to free school meals or the means to buy one, where school meals infrastructure does not exist; concludes that free school meals should be available both during the school day and in holiday periods; and looks forward to the Scottish Government taking appropriate and urgent action to roll out universal free school meals to help mitigate against the ongoing cost of living crisis.

1496Possobilities

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 3

Anne McLaughlin

Drew Hendry

Stewart Hosie

That this House recognises the invaluable service that Possobilities, based in Possilpark, provides to disabled and vulnerable members of the community; welcomes the news that it has received a £5,000 grant from the National Lottery Community Fund to support its operation; praises Possobilities for supporting its community café, an important local hub where users of the service can socialise; looks forward to the establishment of a new lending library that will benefit users of the charity; commends the charity for 33 years of continued hard work promoting independent living in the community; and acknowledges Possobilities as one of the most respected voluntary organisations in Glasgow.

1497The Hope Project Scotland

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 4

Anne McLaughlin

Drew Hendry

Angela Crawley

Stewart Hosie

That this House applauds The Hope Project Scotland for its work supporting individuals living with sickle cell disease; acknowledges the contribution that the charity makes towards helping those living with sickle cell disease, as well as other blood disorders, overcome isolation and stigma; congratulates the project on securing a £9,950 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund; welcomes the news that the charity will be running three informative and interactive events on sickle cell disease in north-east Glasgow, with an expected turnout of more than 200 people; and wishes The Hope Project Scotland all the best with its upcoming events.

1498DASH Club

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 3

Anne McLaughlin

Drew Hendry

Stewart Hosie

That this House welcomes the news that DASH Club, Possilpark, has received £10,000 funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to support its activities; acknowledges that Dash Club will be using the funds to run an inspiring summer holiday programme for young people with complex disabilities aged between 11 and 18-years-old; praises the charity for facilitating a range of healthy and creative activities during term-time sessions, aimed at promoting physical well-being, social skills and self-confidence; and recognises the commitment of DASH Club staff, who dedicate their time to running such a vital community-based service.

1499African Challenge Scotland

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 4

Anne McLaughlin

Drew Hendry

Alison Thewliss

Stewart Hosie

That this House commends African Challenge Scotland, based in Springburn, for its work supporting the African community in Glasgow; welcomes the news that it has received significant funding from The National Lottery Community Fund that will go towards providing food, energy and climate action related support to 100 African families in north-east Glasgow, supporting them through the cost of living crisis; congratulates the charity on its successful mentoring programmes and homework clubs, which support young black and ethnic individuals; acknowledges the importance of their men’s and women’s clubs, aimed at integrating older adults into Glasgow society and breaking down language barriers; applauds all the volunteers involved with African Challenge Scotland; and praises their selfless hard work.

1500Springburn Academy

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 2

Anne McLaughlin

Drew Hendry

That this House congratulates Springburn Academy second year pupils Irebe Emmanuella, Jin Wei, Ayleigh Sutherland, Carla Otabor and Tegan Grace on their involvement in the youth and philanthropy initiative; welcomes the news that the girls successfully secured £3,000 for local charity Glasgow East Women’s Aid; recognises the contribution this funding will make towards the charity’s services; acknowledges the hard work that the pupils put into the project, including engaging in creative research and a presentation in order to secure the funds; thanks all the pupils who were involved in the youth and philanthropy initiative; and looks forward to hearing more success stories from Springburn Academy in the future.

1501Wise Women, Dennistoun

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 4

Anne McLaughlin

Drew Hendry

Angela Crawley

Stewart Hosie

That this House welcomes the news that Wise Women, Dennistoun, has received significant funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to support the charity; congratulates Wise Women on its successful personal safety and confidence building courses, promoting women’s wellbeing and enabling women to deal with potentially dangerous situations; praises the charity for supporting women with lived experiences of violence, crime, homelessness and prostitution; commends Wise Women for raising awareness of these issues and encouraging others to seek support; and thanks the organisation for providing vital services to women across Glasgow.

1502C7 City Reach

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 3

Anne McLaughlin

Drew Hendry

Stewart Hosie

That this House acknowledges Port Dundas-based charity C7 City Reach; commends its work supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to realise their potential; applauds the charity’s C7 Coffee House, a community café that brings together members of the public and users of the service; admires the charity’s past projects, including local clean-ups of parks and streets, its annual Easter and Christmas gift giveaways and its life courses aimed at empowering people to gain confidence and to grow as individuals; congratulates C7 City Reach on securing a £9,925 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund; and welcomes the news that the funding will go towards establishing a peer support group for women in the north of Glasgow.

1503Sensorial

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 4

Anne McLaughlin

Drew Hendry

Angela Crawley

Stewart Hosie

That this House welcomes the news that Sensorial, based in the north of Glasgow, has received a £9,700 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund to support its activities; acknowledges Sensorial’s work promoting sensory art and active learning for individuals with disabilities; recognises the charity’s KIWI after school club as an important project, providing art and play opportunities to children with complex additional needs; and wishes the charity the very best with existing and future projects.

1504Four Steps to Freedom

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 3

Kirsten Oswald

Drew Hendry

Stewart Hosie

That this House recognises the work of Phyllis Hutchison, who founded the charity Four Steps to Freedom, which focuses on building a safer future for the children and animals of Tanzania free from the scourge of rabies; notes that the charity was originally called Friends of Mbwa Wa Africa Animal Rescue and was founded in 2015 by Phyllis following a visit to Meserani, Tanzania, where she witnessed the impact of rabies; highlights that rabies is the world’s most deadly disease for humans and animals alike, with a fatality rate of 99% once symptoms emerge and that the disease is 100% preventable with canine vaccination and population control; understands that 1,500 people die from rabies in Tanzania each year; further notes that the charity ran its first sterilisation campaign in 2015, resulting in the sterilisation of 108 dogs and the education of local children in the safe handling of animals; highlights that the charity’s ongoing efforts to build a state of the art veterinary and education centre in the Arusha region to support the eradication of rabies and that the centre will be named after Phyliss’s three-legged dog called Gongo; commends the fantastic work carried out by Phyliss and all those involved at Four Steps for Freedom; and applauds the brilliant progress made by the charity to date, having educated 115,000 children in the safe handling of animals, vaccinated 51,000 domestic animals and freed 21 Tanzanian communities from the threat of rabies.

1505Giffnock North Social Club

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 2

Kirsten Oswald

Drew Hendry

That this House congratulates everyone at Giffnock North Social Club, a community social club, on its 80th anniversary; recognises that the club began as an amateur athletics club in 1943, but more recently has become best known as a notable live entertainment venue for residents of East Renfrewshire and further afield; highlights the club’s wide range of amenities set over three rooms, including a bar, lounge, large functional hall, outside seating, pool table, darts and a screen for major sporting events; notes that the club is the home of the Old Crocs Football Team and that it hosts regular dance classes and a range of other community groups; understands that the club will celebrate its 80th anniversary with a family funday on Sunday 13 August from 12pm to 6pm with football, food, live music and a bouncy castle, with all proceeds being donated to the Beatson Cancer Charity; and wishes everyone at Giffnock North Social Club all the very best for the future and a thoroughly enjoyable family funday.

1506Stonehenge

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 3

Mary Kelly Foy

Rachael Maskell

Caroline Lucas

That this House condemns the A303 Stonehenge scheme, also known as the Stonehenge road tunnel; notes that the scheme puts the status of Stonehenge as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at risk; believes, therefore, that the scheme is an act of vandalism against one of Britain’s most famous landmarks; and calls on the Prime Minister to overrule the Department for Transport in order to protect Britain’s prehistoric landscape.

1507Alyson Bell, U23 European Championships

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 3

Kirsten Oswald

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Drew Hendry

That this House congratulates Alyson Bell, the 19-year-old Glasgow Jaguars athlete, on her stunning success at the Under 23 European Championships hosted in Finland from 13 July to 16 July; highlights that Alyson won gold as part of Team GB for the 4x100m relay race, with the quartet consisting of Alyson, Cassie-Ann Pemberton, Amy Hunt and Aleeya Sibbons; recognises that Alyson was the third to run during the relay and passed the baton expertly to Sibbons; understands that the quartet not only won gold but also set a new championship record of 43.04 seconds; commends Alyson’s coach, Anne Scott, and those from Giffnock North Athletics Club and Edinburgh University for their involvement in helping Alyson with her development over the years; and wishes Alyson continued success in her athletic career.

1508Consumer choice and meat and poultry originating from the UK

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 4

Ben Lake

Hywel Williams

Liz Saville Roberts

Jonathan Edwards

That this House recognises that bolstering the UK's domestic food supply is critical in order to guarantee long-term food security, reduce carbon emissions and support farmers in Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland; further recognises the vitally important contribution agriculture makes to the UK economy; is concerned that it is more difficult for consumers to select meat and poultry which originates from the UK when shopping online at major supermarkets, compared to shopping in-store; is further concerned that the level of information and choice available to consumers when purchasing meat and poultry online varies between the platforms used by major supermarkets; believes that consumers should be able to filter for meat and poultry whose country of origin is the UK when shopping online at major supermarkets and when ordering via on-demand grocery services; and calls on the Government to introduce regulations to require that consumers have access to increased transparency regarding where meat is produced and are given the right to filter for meat and poultry originating from the UK, and where applicable from Wales, when shopping online.

1509The Cherry Tree pub

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 9

Marion Fellows

Drew Hendry

Alison Thewliss

Dr Philippa Whitford

Hannah Bardell

Gavin Newlands

That this House congratulates The Cherry Tree pub, Netherton, Wishaw on raising £6,447 for St Andrew’s Hospice; recognises that the total raised was thanks to contributions from the local community through multiple fundraising events over the year; notes that Management Partner, Helen Paterson, has raised thousands of pounds for charity since joining The Cherry Tree; and wishes The Cherry Tree team well in their future fundraising endeavours.

1510Mario's, Giffnock

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 2

Kirsten Oswald

Drew Hendry

That this House congratulates Mario’s fish and chip shop in Giffnock who have been crowned overall Fish and Chip Shop of the Year at the first-ever Scottish Chippy Awards; notes that Mario’s, founded by the De Marco family over 30 years ago, also won the award for Fish and Chip Shop of the Year for the South West; highlights that this success adds to an already impressive record, with Mario’s having been voted the Best Fish and Chips in Glasgow at the Scottish Italian Awards in 2018; understands that the Scottish Chippy Awards aim to recognise the absolute best fish and chip shops across Scotland, celebrating the rich heritage and excellence in the art of crafting delectable fish and chips; further notes that Mario’s proudly support the Catherine McEwan Foundation, which helps people living with Crohn’s and Colitis to access better treatment; and wishes all the team at Mario’s continued success for the future.

1511Amy Clark, Special Olympics World Games

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 2

Kirsten Oswald

Drew Hendry

That this House congratulates Amy Clark from Eaglesham in East Renfrewshire on her stunning success at the Special Olympics World Games which were held in Berlin from June 17 to 25 June; recognises that Amy was the first person from Team GB to win a medal, winning gold in the rhythmic gymnastics event to become level 4 all-around champion with a total score of 39.300; notes Amy also won further awards in the apparatus final, including a silver in clubs, bronze for her ribbon routine, and also earned fourth and fifth ribbons for ball and hoop routines respectively; highlights Team GB’s success, with a haul of 137 medals and 47 ribbons from performances across 17 sports; understands Special Olympics GB is the largest provider of year-round sports training and competition for children and adults of all abilities with learning disabilities, striving to achieve a more inclusive society; commends the work of the coaching staff at the City of Glasgow Gymnastics Club and Team GB for helping Amy prepare for the competition; and wishes Amy all the very best for future competitions.

1512Neilston growing project

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 2

Kirsten Oswald

Drew Hendry

That this House commends the efforts being made to create a community herbal garden in the village of Neilston; notes the work is being carried out by Incredible Edible Neilston, which is part of a UK-wide network that encourages people to cultivate their produce, and Movement in Thyme CIC, a not-for-profit social enterprise that strives to create sustainable resilient communities and to reduce social isolation; understands the community herbal garden is based on Kirkstyle Lane and participants are allowed to take home finished produce, with any excess being donated to the community apothecary which can be accessed for free; highlights the growing project is hosting gardening and apothecary sessions at 11am and 1pm respectively on 22 July, 19 August, 9 September and 14 October 2023; and wishes everyone involved with the community herbal garden all the best as they cultivate their own produce and promote biodiversity.

1513The two child limit

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 21

Alison Thewliss

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Allan Dorans

Ronnie Cowan

Drew Hendry

Alan Brown

That this House notes the publication of recent figures relating to the two child limit of Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits; understands that the two child limit prevents parents from claiming Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit for any third or subsequent child born after April 2017; observes that 421,660 households are now affected by this punitive policy; further notes that scrapping the policy would cost around £1.3 billion a year but would be targeted at lifting 250,000 children out of poverty, and reduce poverty for 850,000 more; further understands that poverty campaigners have argued that scrapping the limit is one of the most cost-effective ways of lifting children out of poverty; agrees that six years from the introduction of the two child limit it has been woefully unsuccessful in meeting its stated policy aim of making work pay, with 59% of those affected identified as in work; and expresses deep disappointment at the refusal of the two main parties in this Parliament to scrap this pernicious policy.

1514University of Chichester and closure of Masters by Research History of Africa and the African Diaspora course

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 3

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Mary Kelly Foy

Jon Trickett

That this House expresses its disappointment at the recent announcement by the University of Chichester that they have suspended all recruitment to the Masters by Research History of Africa and the African Diaspora course; notes with regret that this decision will not only deprive students of the opportunity to study a unique course that is not offered by any other university institution in the UK, but also places Professor Hakim Adi, the first person of African heritage to made a history professor in Britain, and this country's only Professor of the History of Africa and the African Diaspora, at risk of redundancy; Is disappointed that the University of Chichester has chosen to tie Professor Adi’s employment to the Masters by Research, despite him being in post for several years before the course began; recognises that academic research into African History is an important form of reparatory justice, and is the only kind of reparatory justice presently available in the UK; also notes that this decision will disproportionately impact African and Caribbean students who make up the majority of students recruited to this course, and thus will negatively impact the number of African and Caribbean researchers trained in African studies; therefore calls on the University of Chichester to reconsider their decision to suspend the Masters by Research History of Africa and the African Diaspora course and the wider impact of this; and further calls on the University to retract the threat of redundancy to Professor Adi.

1515Barrhead Housing Association

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 3

Kirsten Oswald

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Drew Hendry

That this House congratulates Barrhead Housing Association who were recently named runner-up for the Champion of the Year: Organisation award at the TPAS Scotland National Good Practice Awards which took place on June 29; notes that Barrhead Housing’s community investment team has been in place since April 2022 and has delivered projects that contribute to their Community Investment Strategy; commends the work of the community investment team who have worked to tackle poverty and inequality for local families by coordinating with partner and community groups; highlights the team’s work on the Brighter Futures Project, which has engaged 1,200 residents with a variety of projects and investments such as a tenancy sustainment course that was delivered to 250 young people from local high schools and cooking, exercise and arts and crafts workshops; recognises that the Barrhead Housing Association was awarded a grant of £260,000 from the Scottish Government through the Investing in Communities Fund to support the continuation of the Brighter Futures Barrhead project; and wishes everyone at Barrhead Housing Association well for the future as they continue their important work.

1516Memorial honouring Nobel Prize winner John Boyd Orr in West Kilbride

Tabled: 19/07/23 Signatories: 2

Patricia Gibson

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

That this House recognises the new memorial unveiled in West Kilbride, and funded by West Kilbride Civic Society, to honour the Nobel Peace Prize winner, John Boyd Orr, who attended West Kilbride Public School; is aware that John Boyd Orr won the Nobel Prize in 1949 for his scientific research into nutrition and his work as the first Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, and donated the financial prize to the National Council, the World Movement for World Federal Government and other organisations devoted to peace and a united world government; recognises that Orr proved the value of milk being supplied to school children in 1927, leading to free school milk provision across the UK and, in 1936, released a report highlighting that at least one third of the UK population could not afford to buy sufficient food to provide a healthy diet; celebrates the work of John Boyd Orr, which included campaigning for the League of Nations to achieve an international policy on nutrition and asking the United States President, Franklin D Roosevelt, to consider launching a world food plan during the Second World War, believing that food and prosperity for all people on earth led to peace; congratulates and thanks West Kilbride Civic Society on the completion of this project, and wishes its members all the very best.