Commons business papers

Contents

Published: Wednesday 10 January 2024

Early Day Motions tabled on Tuesday 9 January 2024

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

25740th anniversary of the FTSE 100

Tabled: 9/01/24 Signatories: 1

Jim Shannon

That this House notes the 40th anniversary of the FTSE 100, the UKs top stock market index; highlights its launch in January 1984, containing the biggest 100 companies on the London Stock Exchange; further notes its use in gauging the health of the wider UK economy and that it holds constituents with a value that is 11 times higher than the £165.6 billion market capitalisation which was first available in 1986; further highlights that the index contains 26 companies which featured during the initial 1984 launch, including Lloyds, Sainsburys and Tesco; and underlines the tremendous impact FTSE has on the UK economy in terms of stock exchange and that so many local businesses rely on it every day to succeed.

258100th anniversary of Portadown College

Tabled: 9/01/24 Signatories: 1

Carla Lockhart

That this House notes that 2024 is the 100th anniversary year of Portadown College, County Armagh; recognises the positive role the school has played within the community throughout the last century as a place of learning and academic excellence; expresses gratitude for the tireless efforts of many staff and governors throughout the lifetime of the school to shape young lives in a way that is beneficial to both the pupil and to society; and wishes the school every success as it celebrates this significant milestone throughout 2024.

259JPR Williams

Tabled: 9/01/24 Signatories: 1

Jonathan Edwards

This House mourns the passing of Welsh Rugby Union great John Peter Rhys (JPR) Williams at the age of 74; notes that JPR played at full back for Wales and the successful touring British Lions teams of 1971 and 1974; recognises that JPR won 55 caps for Wales between 1969 and 1981, captained his nation on five occasions and helped his country to win three Grand Slams; further recognises that he was capped by the British and Irish Lions on three occasions; further notes that JPR was a talented tennis player in his youth and worked as a surgeon in his professional career; and sends its condolences to the family and friends of this great Welshman.

260NellyBoxes CIC

Tabled: 9/01/24 Signatories: 1

Kirsten Oswald

That this House congratulates NellyBoxes CIC based in East Renfrewshire on their award of two grants from the National Lottery Community Fund; understands that NellyBoxes was founded in 2019 by Nicola McGowan who unfortunately experienced nine miscarriages over a period of six years; highlights that NellyBoxes provides a range of self-care boxes to parents who have experienced baby loss to support them at this most difficult time; notes the first National Lottery Community Fund grant of £10,000 will be used to continue the delivery of NellyBoxes’ hugely important baby bank, distributing basic goods such as baby clothes, toiletries, nappies, and milk with no need for referral; notes that this service operates from the Auchenback Resource Centre in Barrhead; further appreciates that the second grant of £9,998 will be used by NellyBoxes to engage young people in and around the Barrhead area in an entrepreneurship project, encouraging the young people to design, produce and market retails goods which will be sold at local shops; applauds the commitment of all involved with NellyBoxes and commends the fantastic work they do; and wishes NellyBoxes CIC the best with all its future endeavours.

261Anniversary of the Kegworth air disaster

Tabled: 9/01/24 Signatories: 1

Mr Gregory Campbell

That this House notes that 8 January 2023 marked the 35th anniversary of the Kegworth air disaster when 47 people were killed and 74 seriously injured as British Midland flight 92 from Heathrow to Belfast suffered engine trouble and came down near Kegworth in Leicestershire; recognises that following the tragedy airlines across the world began providing cockpit resource management training to their staff and significant improvements to safety ensued; and expresses the hope that never again in air travel will it take such a tragic event to ensure improved and effective safety measures are implemented as standard practice.

262Michael Kirkum and the Points of Light award

Tabled: 9/01/24 Signatories: 1

Patricia Gibson

That this House congratulates Michael Kirkum on recently receiving the Points of Light award from the Prime Minister; notes that this award recognises his work as an outstanding volunteer campaigning to raise money to secure Christmas gifts for children in Crosshouse University Hospital and other children’s groups, which has seen him dubbed as a real-life Santa Claus; applauds Michael for his work over the last decade, supporting local children, spreading joy to those spending Christmas in hospital; appreciates that his work has been so successful that he has expanded his efforts to include Easter as well, which in 2023 saw him completing his twelfth Easter egg appeal; commends Michael’s work with local businesses to help secure donations and his tireless organisation of local collection points for gifts; admires the fact that in 2023 Michael enjoyed this most successful Christmas appeal ever as he reached the admirable milestone of delivering over 20,000 gifts to children; further notes Michael’s fundraising through marathon challenges over the last thirty years through which he has raised thousands of pounds for charity; and commends Michael’s inspiring commitment to improving the lives of children in his community in Kilwinning and across Ayrshire.

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.

241Scottish Agriculture Awards and Savock Farms

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 6

Richard Thomson

Jim Shannon

Chris Law

Stewart Hosie

Dr Philippa Whitford

Chris Stephens

That this House welcomes the inaugural Scottish Agriculture Awards, where over 450 people celebrated innovation and success in the vital Scottish agricultural sector; recognises the critical role that Scottish agriculture plays in food supply both within Scotland and beyond; notes the large scale of the agricultural sector, especially in the north east of Scotland, which is renowned for quality produce and, in this regard, congratulates the innovation and success of Savock Farms operating in the Ellon area of Aberdeenshire which achieved the prestigious accolade of Arable Farm of Year; and further recognises the vision and effort required to achieve such an accolade and the benefits that the resulting expertise and knowledge bring to the wider sector as we strive for the best possible food and environmental standards.

242Compensation for Equitable Life policyholders

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 23

Dr Philippa Whitford

Ronnie Cowan

Patricia Gibson

Kirsten Oswald

Deidre Brock

Martyn Day

That this House recognises the financial, personal and social impact on policy holders following the collapse of Equitable Life Assurance Society; calls on the Treasury to ensure that all of the 1.5 billion pounds set aside for the Equitable Life Payments Scheme, is distributed to Equitable Life policyholders who suffered financial loss due to regulatory maladministration; and further calls on the Treasury to establish a fair distribution of payments following detailed consultation with policyholders and their representatives.

243Pension restitution for women born in the 1950s

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 24

Kim Johnson

Claudia Webbe

Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson

Claire Hanna

Jim Shannon

Mick Whitley

That this House welcomes the positive interventions from so many hon. Members from across the House on behalf of women born in the 1950s who have suffered pensions loss through the targeting of their pension rights; pays tribute to constituents and campaigners in their ongoing fight for justice; recalls that women born in the 1950s were subject to discriminatory laws; and encourages the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to join mediation, noting there are no impediments to doing so.

244Speed enforcement revenue

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 2

Mohammad Yasin

Jim Shannon

That this House believes that the income generated by speed enforcement measures should be retained by the local authority and police force where the penalties were issued; recognises that these bodies incur costs for fitting speed cameras and other measures but do not directly receive any income generated by them; and urges the Government to reconsider the allocation of revenue to its consolidated fund.

245National Lottery funding for Muirhouse Millennium Centre

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 4

Christine Jardine

Jim Shannon

Sarah Dyke

Chris Stephens

That this House congratulates Muirhouse Millennium Centre Ltd on receiving a grant of £62,503 from the National Lottery; understands that this will be used to continue delivering their Low Income Families Together (LIFT) project; notes that LIFT provides individual and group work sessions for parents to learn new skills, drop in sessions for children, a free food sharing shelf and other initiatives aimed at reducing child poverty and improving the wellbeing of families across northwest Edinburgh; and wishes the whole team at Muirhouse Millennium Centre continued success in the future.

246Radiotherapy

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 3

Tim Farron

Jim Shannon

Sarah Dyke

That this House acknowledges the pressing need to reduce treatment waiting times for cancer patients across the country, given only 58.2% of patients begin treatment within the recommended maximum 62 days from referral; recognises the need for a National Cancer Control Plan that improves cancer outcomes by delivering patient-centred, equitable and data-informed cancer control that empowers clinical frontline staff; further recognises that radiotherapy is a key cancer treatment required by 50% of all cancer patients; notes that with the integration of modern radiotherapy technology, IT, and AI developments, radiotherapy has the potential to significantly reduce waiting times and improve survival in a cost-effective way; further notes with concern that many radiotherapy treatment machines are currently operating beyond their recommended lifespan of 10 years, with 74 due to be replaced by the end of 2024; particularly regrets that millions of people live outside the recommended 45-minute travel time for treatment, especially those in rural areas like Westmorland and Lonsdale, where average travel time is between two and four hours per treatment; further acknowledges the importance of increasing radiotherapy access from the current 27% to the international standard of 50-63% to ensure enough treatment capacity for NHS early diagnosis ambitions to translate into early stage cures; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure that sufficient NHS capital investment is directed towards unlocking the full potential of radiotherapy as a high-tech, cost-effective, and vital cancer treatment method as part of creating a National Cancer Control Plan, which will significantly reduce the backlog.

247Overseas constituencies

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 6

Christine Jardine

Wendy Chamberlain

Jim Shannon

Sarah Dyke

Jamie Stone

Helen Morgan

That this House notes that the Elections Act 2022 increased the number of UK citizens living abroad that are eligible to vote in UK elections to approximately 3.5 million; further notes that UK citizens residing abroad are represented by the MP from their last place of residence in the UK, which may be distant from their current place of residence; notes that the establishment of overseas constituencies would allow UK citizens living abroad to be represented by an MP who is experienced in dealing with the range of problems overseas residents face; notes that parliaments in 17 countries have overseas constituency MPs; and calls on the Government to work with the Boundary Commission to implement overseas constituencies for the House of Commons and with the Electoral Commission and groups representing UK citizens abroad to run a registration drive for eligible citizens to explain how they can register to vote.

248Scotch whisky industry

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 7

Wendy Chamberlain

Jim Shannon

Mr Alistair Carmichael

Jamie Stone

Christine Jardine

Sarah Dyke

That this House welcomes the £7.1 billion per year contributed in added value to the UK economy by the Scotch whisky industry producing high-quality and internationally successful brands sold to 180 markets around the world; recognises that 75% of the Scotch whisky industry's gross value added is generated in Scotland, supporting 41,000 jobs and a further 25,000 across the UK; further welcomes the over £2 billion of investments made by the industry over the last five years; believes the Scotch whisky industry plays a crucial role in Scotland’s ambition to grow its exports, in attracting visitors from overseas to its world-leading visitor experiences, and in decarbonising operations and reaching net zero by 2045; and wishes everyone involved in Scotland’s iconic Scotch whisky industry continued success as they continue to play an integral role in communities throughout Scotland.

249Short-term lets

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 4

Tim Farron

Richard Foord

Jim Shannon

Sarah Dyke

That this House acknowledges the Government’s consultation on introducing a different category of planning use for short-term lets; notes that this consultation ended last June; recognises the urgency and importance of action to introduce a separate category of planning use for short term lets as the government has promised; further recognises that this is in order to maintain housing stock that is affordable and available for local people, particularly in communities in the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, the West Country, coastal communities and other popular tourist destinations; and urges the Government to proceed with introducing a different class of planning use of short-term lets.

250Illegal street racing

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 6

Sarah Green

Richard Foord

Jim Shannon

Sarah Dyke

Christine Jardine

Carla Lockhart

That this House condemns illegal street racing and other vehicle nuisance; is concerned by the safety and anti-social impact of such activity; recognises the detrimental impact that such activity has on communities and individuals; welcomes the recent trials of noise cameras that detect illegal and excessively noisy vehicles; and calls on the Government to provide all relevant organisations with sufficient financial and human resources to tackle illegal street racing and other vehicle nuisance.

251School Meals Coalition

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 19

Sir Stephen Timms

Mrs Sharon Hodgson

Mr Clive Betts

Caroline Lucas

Liz Saville Roberts

Chris Stephens

That this House welcomes the creation of the School Meals Coalition; notes the Coalition is a partnership of 96 countries, with responsibility for over 60 percent of the world’s population, spanning the full range of geographies and across high, middle and low-income countries; congratulates the Coalition in supporting the reinstatement of school meals programmes following the closure of schools as a result of covid-19; further welcomes the fact that in 2022, 418 million children benefited from school meals compared to 388 million in 2020; further notes the importance of school meals as they protect and support children’s health and education while additionally providing wider societal benefits; calls upon the Government to join the School Meals Coalition; and commits to supporting the Coalition’s goal that every primary school aged child globally receives a healthy nutritious meal every day in school by 2030.

252Removal of CBE awarded to Paula Vennells

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 11

Douglas Ross

Claire Hanna

Jim Shannon

Cat Smith

Ben Lake

Carla Lockhart

That this House believes Paula Vennells, former Chief Executive Officer of the Post Office Ltd, should be stripped of her CBE awarded in the 2019 New Year's Honours List.

253Sub-postmasters

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 67

Kate Osborne

Ian Byrne

Ian Mearns

Richard Burgon

John McDonnell

Clive Efford

That this House notes the increased awareness of the life-changing injustices experienced by sub-postmasters throughout the Horizon scandal; further notes it is now known as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history; notes with concern that sub-postmasters have served custodial sentences, suffered bankruptcy for offences they did not commit and many have died before seeing justice; expresses concern that the actions of the Post Office and the Government have prolonged this crisis and added barriers to justice being achieved; further notes that the Post Office has repeatedly been exposed for having given out false and misleading information throughout this scandal and should play no part in determining who is entitled to compensation or how much they should get; and strongly urges the Government to take action to ensure full compensation is paid, the remaining convictions are looked at en masse, that justice prevail for all postmasters and that those responsible for this gross miscarriage of justice are held accountable.

254Short-term medical evacuation of children from Gaza

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 21

John McDonnell

Claudia Webbe

Claire Hanna

Jonathan Edwards

Mick Whitley

Cat Smith

That this House welcomes the work of Saving Gaza's Children, an NGO dedicated to supporting the children of Gaza to receive life-saving and time-critical, emergency medical care required as a result of the Israel-Gaza conflict by identifying children in dire need of medical evacuation and securing their evacuation to host states which are currently better equipped to manage their complex and often life-threatening medical needs, liaising directly with Gazan medical teams and the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and working closely with the child's legal guardian to monitor his or her diagnosis, progress, and prognosis whilst remaining sensitive to the fact that Palestinians feel strongly that their children should return to Palestine and paying special attention to ensuring that children are evacuated through documented safe passages and that all necessary protocols are followed to ensure a child's safe return with a focus on supporting injured children back into Palestinian society ensuring that they receive all the support they need to live as normal a life as possible; and urges the Government urgently to liaise with the Egyptian and Palestinian Health Ministries to assist NGOs such as Saving Gaza’s Children to create a short-term medical evacuation programme from Gaza to the UK much like the scheme that worked effectively to support Ukrainian children.

255Government legal advice on Gaza

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 18

Jon Trickett

Claudia Webbe

Mick Whitley

Mary Kelly Foy

Kim Johnson

Richard Burgon

That this House understands that questions have been raised internationally about the legality of the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza; recognises that in November 2023 UN experts raised the alarm about the risk of genocide in Gaza; highlights the UN General Secretary’s reasons for invoking Article 99 that there is a high risk of total collapse of the humanitarian support system in Gaza, which would have devastating consequences; further highlights his comments to the Security Council that international humanitarian law includes the duty to protect civilians and to comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution and that the laws of war also demand that civilians’ essential needs must be met, including by facilitating the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian relief; notes the Spanish Prime Minister’s comments that he has serious doubts that Israel is complying with international humanitarian law; further notes the letter signed by prominent Israeli public figures to the Attorney General in December 2023 which said there have been explicit calls to commit atrocious crimes against millions of civilians, providing evidence of the discourse of annihilation, expulsion and revenge; acknowledges the case South Africa has brought to the International Court of Justice claiming Israel’s treatment of Palestinians is tantamount to genocidal actions; and calls on the Government to publish in full the legal advice it has received from its law officers regarding the situation in Gaza, particularly in the run up to UN votes, and the legality of the UK export licensing of arms to the Israel.

256Scottish Government's industrial strategy

Tabled: 8/01/24 Signatories: 16

Douglas Chapman

Jonathan Edwards

Chris Law

Ronnie Cowan

Anne McLaughlin

Stewart Hosie

That this House recognises the UK's low growth, poor productivity and high debt economy which has been a feature of the UK's economic demise over many decades; now welcomes the recent statement by Scotland's First Minister to establish an industrial strategy to help reverse the most negative impacts of UK economic policy on the people of Scotland, while rejecting the mantra of the Governor of the Bank of England which warned the people across the UK to prepare to be poorer; supports the First Minister of Scotland's statement on the Scottish economy which would focus on (a) joining the EU to have unfettered access to the world's largest single market, (b) creating a dynamic government ministry to drive industrial policy and build consensus across sectors and institutions and (c) committing to large scale public investment in key areas of comparative advantage; and further recognises that Scotland, as an independent country, would have all the ingredients, skills and valuable resources to be a successful, high growth, high wage, modern economy and a member of the EU where the national mantra would be prepare to be prosperous.