Contents

Published: Thursday 29 February 2024

Early Day Motions tabled on Wednesday 28 February 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

442School minibus safety

Tabled: 28/02/24 Signatories: 1

Sarah Edwards

That this House notes that 18 November 2023 was the 30th anniversary of the Hagley M40 minibus disaster, where twelve children and their teacher died; further notes that there is still no legislation to ensure best practice in the use of school minibuses, and a repeat of the tragedy is a distinct possibility; notes the inequality enshrined in current legislation and regulation whereby private schools are required to operate to a higher standard of safety than state schools by being required to have a full public service vehicle operator’s licence, whereas state schools can operate transport services for hire or reward with a permit under Section 19 of the Transport Act 1985, a much lower standard of safety management; notes that the existing legislative framework is confusing for school managers and enforcement officers alike; and calls on the Government to ensure that all schools with minibuses are required to have a full public service vehicle operator’s licence, hence operating to best practice and aiming to ensure that all pupils and staff come home safe.

443Coatbridge volunteers and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

Tabled: 28/02/24 Signatories: 1

Steven Bonnar

That this House commends five volunteers of the Friends Together Club of St Patrick's RC Church in Coatbridge, who were recognised for their charity work by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta on 5 February 2024 at their headquarters in Rome; congratulates Ena Marie Hamill on receiving a Silver Medal of Merit, as well as Elain McDermott, Patrick Allen, Yvonne Cawley and Elizabeth Locke on their Bronze Medals of Merit; thank them for their dedication to community service and work in organising celebrations and outings for marginalised people with special needs who would not otherwise have the opportunity to do so; and encourages them to not only continue their fantastic work, but to act as role models for others to do so as well.

444Contingency plans for the potential collapse of Thames Water

Tabled: 28/02/24 Signatories: 1

Sarah Olney

That this House considers that a motion for an humble address should be debated that gives directions that there will be laid before this House a report detailing the contingency plans of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for the potential event of the collapse of Thames Water.

445Wildlife area in Longford

Tabled: 28/02/24 Signatories: 1

John McDonnell

That this House condemns the appalling destruction of the wildlife area in the heart of the traditional Middlesex village of Longford by the new owners of the land, Yasar Nawaz and Kamaljit Singh Gill, contrary to the assurances they gave to the local villagers; notes that in addition to the ripping up of the natural fauna and flora on the site, the riverside tree, in which the kingfishers have nested for years, has now been uprooted; further notes that despite appeals for action the Environment Agency has significantly failed to protect this waterside area; expresses fear that there is a strong possibility there will now be an attempt to use this site for off airport car parking that has blighted the local area; and consequently urges Hillingdon Council to be vigilant in enforcing its planning policies against such misuse of this site.

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.

38313th anniversary of the Bahrain pro-democracy uprising

Tabled: 19/02/24 Signatories: 13

John McDonnell

Claudia Webbe

Ian Mearns

Jonathan Edwards

Kenny MacAskill

Stuart C McDonald

That this House notes the 13th anniversary of Bahrain’s 2011 uprising, when widespread protests demanding democratic change and decrying structural inequalities, corruption, oppression and a lack of government representation were met with government violence and repression, in which dozens of individuals were killed and hundreds arrested, some of whom are still imprisoned; raises the alarm that Bahrain’s rights record has since deteriorated and opposition leaders and human rights defenders, including Abduljalil Al-Singace, Hassan Mushaima, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and Abdulwahab Hussein, languish behind bars and calls for their release; decries that Bahrain holds 26 prisoners on death row at imminent risk of execution, many of whom allege torture including Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa; calls on the Government to reinstate Bahrain to the Foreign Office human rights priority list, given Bahrain’s rights record; further calls for consideration of Magnitsky sanctions for those known to be perpetrators of human rights atrocities; and raises concerns that millions of pounds of taxpayers' money continues to be spent on technical assistance to Bahrain through the Gulf Strategy Fund, despite evidence that it has supported institutions including the Bahrain Interior Ministry and the Ombudsman which have been implicated in torture, death penalty and whitewashing abuses.

385Hillend Tavern, Fife

Tabled: 19/02/24 Signatories: 4

Neale Hanvey

Douglas Chapman

Peter Grant

Jim Shannon

That this House congratulates the Hillend Tavern in the village of Hillend, Fife, for its commitment to the provision of a quality beer product and service to the community and customers, illustrated by their participation in CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Pub of the Year competition in which it was nominated as amongst one of the top 16 pubs in Great Britain, recognised for high business and service standards; and wishes the Hillend Tavern the best in all of their future endeavours in the industry.

386Children's Mental Health Week 2024 in Oxfordshire

Tabled: 19/02/24 Signatories: 3

Layla Moran

Sarah Dyke

Jim Shannon

That this House recognises Children’s Mental Health Week 2024 which runs from 5-11 February; notes the importance of listening to children and young people in accordance with this year’s theme, My Voice Matters; celebrates and thanks Abingdon Bridge, Mental Health Natters, Abingdon Damascus Project, the Unicorn School, Oxfordshire Mind, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and all other mental health services in Oxfordshire for their incredible work towards and unwavering commitment to children’s mental health; expresses concern at the crisis facing children’s mental health services, noting that children in Oxfordshire are experiencing five-year waits from referral to being seen; acknowledges the persistent underfunding of children’s services; calls for increased funding for CAMHS, in particular for preventative services; further calls for the provision of a mental health professional in every school; and further notes the need for legislation to properly address this issue in the form of a Mental Health Bill.

391Cash payments and Avanti West Coast catering services

Tabled: 19/02/24 Signatories: 24

Cat Smith

Chris Stephens

Kim Johnson

Dan Carden

Zarah Sultana

Charlotte Nichols

That this House notes with concern reports that rail operator Avanti West Coast is proposing to withdraw cash as an accepted payment method for its catering services from March 2024; expresses concern about the impact of this decision on people who rely on, or prefer to use, cash; further notes that over one million people in the UK do not have access to a bank account and that people on lower incomes are disproportionately more likely to be unbanked; also notes reports from the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers that withdrawing cash from catering services could put jobs involving cash handling at risk; understands that, since Avanti took on the franchise, net staff numbers have reduced by 200; believes that the withdrawal of cash sales from the catering service would further worsen the travel experience for Avanti passengers, who continue to be faced with delays, cancellations and disruption; and therefore calls on the Department for Transport, which manages the franchise, to instruct Avanti West Coast to scrap its proposals to withdraw cash from catering services.

392Bleed kits

Tabled: 19/02/24 Signatories: 2

Mohammad Yasin

Jim Shannon

That this House notes that in the region of 19,000 people die after injury each year in the UK; further notes that it is the leading cause of death among young adults up to 40 years and children in the country; recognises the positive impact of bleed kits as a tool to administer life-saving treatment quickly in the event and at the site of traumatic injury; highlights the importance of making bleed kits accessible in public locations; further recognises the efforts of organisations such as the Daniel Baird Foundation, the Wingman Mentors and initiatives like Stop the Bleed Day in this endeavour; and urges the Government to support organisations, local authorities and other agencies with designated funding for bleed kits and training.

394Pathological Demand Avoidance

Tabled: 19/02/24 Signatories: 3

Sir Mike Penning

Mr Gregory Campbell

Jim Shannon

That this House commends the PDA Society and other PDA campaigners for their call to action campaign to raise awareness, recognition and understanding of the Pathological Demand Avoidance profile of autism; and supports their calls for autism boards, local authorities and clinical commissioning groups to issue a position statement to help health and education professionals provide the support so desperately needed by children and young people with PDA and their families.

400Cwmni Da

Tabled: 19/02/24 Signatories: 4

Hywel Williams

Liz Saville Roberts

Ben Lake

Jim Shannon

That this House celebrates the success of Cwmni Da, named among the best places to work in the UK by Broadcast magazine; notes that Cwmni Da has been an employee-owned business since 2019, where staff satisfaction is high and staff members feel valued; acknowledges that the Caernarfon-based TV production company was also named by Televisual magazine as one of the top 100 truly independent media companies in the UK; congratulates the business on also receiving two grants of £25,000 each to boost its development and growth; values the company’s commitment to the Welsh language and culture since its establishment in 1997; and wishes Cwmni Da continued success in future.

412No confidence in the Speaker

Tabled: 21/02/24 Signatories: 93

Mr William Wragg

Gary Sambrook

Jill Mortimer

John Stevenson

Dr Kieran Mullan

Anthony Mangnall

That this House has no confidence in Mr Speaker.

415Bus services

Tabled: 21/02/24 Signatories: 7

Sarah Dyke [R]

Richard Foord

Claudia Webbe

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

Jamie Stone

That this House recognises the dire state of bus services throughout the country and is concerned that bus provision has decreased by 28% since 2011; understands the important role buses have to play in the fight against climate change; acknowledges the growing isolation of vulnerable and elderly people in rural areas due to cuts to bus services; realises the benefit buses have in providing young people with independence and mobility to enhance their opportunities, wellbeing and overall quality of life; supports the role buses have in creating an integrated and accessible public transport system; is alarmed by the behaviour of some bus companies holding local authorities to ransom over the continuation of routes; calls for additional funding to restore bus routes and create new ones; encourages local authorities to work collaboratively to provide bus services services across Council boundaries; and urges the Government to pass the Public Transport (Rural Areas) Bill, which would guarantee minimum levels of public transport to areas of education, employment and health services in rural areas.

422Closure of the Inter Faith Network

Tabled: 23/02/24 Signatories: 10

Wera Hobhouse

Sarah Dyke

Wendy Chamberlain

Jim Shannon

Helen Morgan

Christine Jardine

That this House deeply regrets the Government’s announcement that it will cut off funding to the Inter Faith Network; further regrets that this decision came despite new Government funding having been promised; notes with concern that islamophobia is rising and antisemitism in the UK is at the highest level on record; recognises the importance of inter faith dialogue at a time of heightened community tensions; further recognises the valuable work done by the Inter Faith Network and its branches around the country to bring communities together and nurture tolerance and understanding; further notes with concern that there is no organisation to take the Inter Faith Network’s place; and urges the Government to reinstate funding to the Inter Faith Network.

426Mikeysline Hive on the Road project

Tabled: 26/02/24 Signatories: 6

Drew Hendry

Jim Shannon

Chris Stephens

Peter Grant

Ian Blackford

Dr Philippa Whitford

That this House commends Mikeysline for their continued work in suicide prevention and providing mental health support across the Scottish Highlands; notes their most recent project Hive on the Road offers mental health support via a fully equipped mobile unit across the Highlands and Islands; recognises that this mobile unit is the first of its kind in Scotland; and pays thanks to all those involved in the successful running of this initiative.

42750 years of nuclear submarines

Tabled: 26/02/24 Signatories: 5

Neale Hanvey

Jonathan Edwards

Chris Stephens

Peter Grant

Dr Philippa Whitford

That this House notes that 26 February 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the laying down of HMS Resolution, the first Royal Navy Polaris Ballistic Nuclear Missile Submarine; further notes that HMS Resolution was decommissioned on 22 October 1994 yet remains laid up at Rosyth dockyard with the Ministry of Defence still to finalise plans for removal of its radioactive reactor; recognises the cost of Polaris procurement and modification as equivalent to £3 billion in today's money with further expenditure on Polaris between 1980 to 1997 equivalent to £9 billion; expresses concern that the acquisition cost of the Trident programme is equivalent to £21 billion with annual in-service costs currently running at £3 billion per annum; raises further concern that under the Polaris sales agreement the UK continues to pay the US Department of Defence an annual contribution towards the overall cost of the Strategic Weapons Facility at Kings Bay, USA; notes the Ministry of Defence estimates the cost of Trident replacement to be £31 billion with a further £10 billion committed in contingency costs; expresses concern that a Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament assessment put the total cost of the Dreadnought programme close to £205 billion; agrees that the past 50 years maintaining the UK’s status as a nuclear power has constituted a grotesque waste of public resources that could and should have been deployed to create a fairer more equal society; and believes the UK Government should abandon the obscenity of their unaffordable nuclear weapons of mass destruction programme.

428Islamophobia

Tabled: 26/02/24 Signatories: 15

Christine Jardine

Sarah Dyke

Jim Shannon

Wendy Chamberlain

Jamie Stone

Liz Saville Roberts

That this House condemns the recent rise in Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents across the UK; regrets that leading charity TellMAMA recorded more than 2,000 anti-Muslim hate cases since Hamas’s terror attacks on 7 October 2023; notes with concern that this represents a 335% increase on the same period last year; further notes with the concern the gendered aspect of these attacks, as women were the target of 65% of these cases; acknowledges that there have been similarly concerning increases in anti-Semitism across the UK in the same time period; condemns the Government’s decision not to bring forward an official definition of Islamophobia; emphasises the importance of standing up to religious hatred in all its forms; and urges the Government to appoint an independent adviser on Islamophobia to help tackle anti-Muslim prejudice in our communities.

430Conduct of the hon. Member for Ashfield

Tabled: 26/02/24 Signatories: 19

Christine Jardine

Sarah Dyke

Wendy Chamberlain

Jamie Stone

Liz Saville Roberts

Ben Lake

That this House censures the hon. Member for Ashfield for his comments on 23 February 2024 regarding the Mayor of London, which were Islamophobic, damaging, divisive and risk bringing the House collectively into disrepute; and calls on the hon. Member for Ashfield to come to the House and apologise for these remarks.

431Conduct of the hon. Member for Ashfield and the Rt hon. Members for Fareham and South West Norfolk

Tabled: 26/02/24 Signatories: 22

Dawn Butler

Kate Osborne

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Liz Saville Roberts

Ben Lake

Hywel Williams

That this House is shocked and appalled by the recent conduct of certain Members in respect of their remarks relating to Muslims; believes that the recent remarks made by the hon. Member for Ashfield and the Rt hon. Members for Fareham and South West Norfolk are Islamophobic and constitute a breach of the Nolan Principles of Leadership; condemns the reported 365% rise in reports of Islamophobia; notes with concern the Prime Minister's reluctance to use the word Islamophobia in the House of Commons; calls for the Prime Minister to withdraw the Whip from the aforementioned Members and any other found to use anti-Muslim remarks; and further calls for increased effort and funding towards tackling the scourge of Islamophobia including the appointment of an independent adviser.

432Parliamentary time for cancer treatment debate

Tabled: 27/02/24 Signatories: 6

Daisy Cooper

Tim Farron

Sarah Dyke

Jim Shannon

Richard Foord

Helen Morgan

That this House calls on the Government to drop the general debate whose subject is yet to be announced on 4 March 2024 and bring forward instead a motion in the name of the Liberal Democrats, doing so in recognition that the party should be allowed to do so as the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons, third-largest party in the UK by vote-share and following the precedents set in previous Parliaments, to debate ways to support the 36% of patients currently waiting longer than 62 days to begin cancer treatment, and the merits of introducing a legal right to a two-month cancer treatment guarantee.

433West Lothian College LGBT Charter Gold Accreditation

Tabled: 27/02/24 Signatories: 4

Hannah Bardell

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Martin Docherty-Hughes

Anne McLaughlin

That this House commends West Lothian College on becoming the first college in Scotland to achieve the LGBT Charter Gold Accreditation; understands that the college was presented with the award in February which is LGBT History Month; recognises that achieving the accreditation involved significant work by both students and staff including training over 100 college staff in LGBT and Trans Awareness training and creating new initiatives such as Ask Ally that offers support for transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse staff and students; believes that the award demonstrates the college’s commitment to creating a campus that supports LGBT people in every aspect of their study; notes that West Lothian college was previously awarded Silver status in their first attempt at the accreditation when most institutions only receive Bronze status; congratulates the college on taking steps to ensure that West Lothian College is a positive space for LGBT students; and encourages other education institutions to work towards the accreditation.

434Great Daffodil Appeal 2024

Tabled: 27/02/24 Signatories: 4

Jim Shannon

Martin Docherty-Hughes

Dr Philippa Whitford

Jonathan Edwards

That this House notes with pride the Great Daffodil Appeal 2024, which is Marie Curie's Biggest Annual Fundraising Campaign, held every March, when millions of people wear their daffodil badge to show support and awareness for those battling terminal illness; highlights that currently one in four people in the UK don't get the care they need at the end of life and that the appeal raises money to ensure that Marie Curie can be there for more people at the end of their lives, in their homes and in hospices; and urges people to consider taking part in fundraising or to go yellow, to make or wear something yellow to help ensure people can get the help that they need.

435Rare Disease Day 2024

Tabled: 27/02/24 Signatories: 6

Jim Shannon

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Martin Docherty-Hughes

Dr Philippa Whitford

Jonathan Edwards

Ian Mearns

That this House notes Rare Disease Day, celebrated on 29 February, which raises awareness on rare diseases that are not commonly known, such as Primary Biliary Cholangitis, Cushings Disease, Sickle Cell and Huntingdon Disease; underlines that there are on average 1 in 2,000 people that suffer with rare diseases, which is around 3.5 million in the UK and 110,000 individuals in Northern Ireland; highlights that there are currently around 7,000 known rare diseases in the world and that the general public is still not educated on most of them; further notes that Rare Disease Day was created by the European Organisation for Rare Diseases on 29 February 2008 and that it is celebrated on 29 February as it is rare day, only occurring once every four years; and urges Government to allocate additional funding into the research of rare diseases and work with the devolved nations to ensure we can take a joint approach to raising awareness.

436Diversity of London

Tabled: 27/02/24 Signatories: 13

Dawn Butler

Claudia Webbe

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Barry Gardiner

John McDonnell

Mary Kelly Foy

That this House states its admiration for London; celebrates the diversity of the capital city and believes this diversity is its strength; acknowledges the rich contributions of people from all backgrounds; expresses concern about recent statements made by hon. and Rt hon. Members; believes the aforementioned statements are contrary to the values of the vast majority of Londoners; further believes that hon. Members should stand united against hatred and division; and calls upon all hon. and Rt hon. Members to behave responsibly at a time of high tensions.

437Rosebank Primary School Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence

Tabled: 27/02/24 Signatories: 4

Chris Law

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Jim Shannon

Anne McLaughlin

That this House recognises Rosebank Primary School in Dundee for their accreditation as a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence; applauds the excellent work undertaken by the school to ensure that all students have the speaking and listening skills that they need to succeed in school and in life; acknowledges the hard work that the teachers and staff have put in to embedding, sustaining and delivering a sustained high-quality oracy education; and wishes all pupils, teachers and staff at Rosebank Primary School all the success in their future endeavours.

438PC Ryan Bunting

Tabled: 27/02/24 Signatories: 3

Christine Jardine

Jim Shannon

Sarah Dyke

This House acknowledges the courage displayed by Edinburgh police officer PC Ryan Bunting during a violent altercation with a suspect carrying a knife; and congratulates PC Bunting for receiving an award at the Chief Constable’s Bravery and Excellence Awards for 2023 at Police Scotland Headquarters in Tulliallan.

439Mobile phone tariffs and inflation

Tabled: 27/02/24 Signatories: 4

Mr Gregory Campbell

Martin Docherty-Hughes

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

That this House notes that a number of mobile phone operators have announced their annual tariff increase, which in April 2024 will be 8.8%; further notes that in recent years there has been an inflation plus 3.9% increase and in an environment where inflation is reducing, there is little or no justification for the 3.9% additional charge; and calls upon Ofcom to review the need for this extra charge when millions of individuals haven't availed of the reduced Social Tariff and are facing further increases in the use of a product that tens of million of people rely on.

440Andy Byers, Framwellgate School

Tabled: 27/02/24 Signatories: 3

Mary Kelly Foy

Jim Shannon

Ian Mearns

That this House commends Andy Byers, headteacher of Framwellgate School in City of Durham, who is standing down as headteacher after thirty two years of teaching at the end of the academic year; notes that Andy has been the headteacher at Framwellgate School for seven years; further notes his tireless advocacy for the rebuild of Framwellgate School, which is now on the government’s school rebuilding programme; acknowledges Andy’s contribution to the school and to the community in County Durham; and sends him best wishes for the future.

441Access to the countryside

Tabled: 27/02/24 Signatories: 3

Jon Trickett

Mary Kelly Foy

Ian Mearns

That this House acknowledges the outstanding beauty of our nation’s countryside; understands that public access to the countryside has considerable benefits to both physical and mental health; believes that footpaths, cycle tracks and bridleways are essential infrastructure that facilitates walkers, cyclists and equestrians safe access to the countryside; notes BBC reports that walkers are being shut out of 2,500 landscapes and beauty spots in England where there is a right to roam but no legal right to access them; further notes the BBC investigation which found that footpaths across countryside are being blocked or obstructed in nearly 32,000 places across England and Wales; and calls on the government to bring forward proposals for the expansion of the network of footpaths, cycle tracks and bridleways to ensure there is equitable access to the countryside for everyone.