Contents

Published: Tuesday 30 April 2024

Early Day Motions tabled on Monday 29 April 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

692Armenian Genocide

Tabled: 29/04/24 Signatories: 1

Martyn Day

That this House notes that on 24 April 2024 the Armenian community commemorated the Medz Yaghern (Great Crime) of the Armenian Genocide that saw the massacre and starvation of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottomans; further notes the significance of recognising the Armenian genocide and engaging in commemorative actions in paying tribute to the victims and supporting the Armenian community; pays tribute to the survivors of the Armenian Genocide, including many who share their testimony day in, day out, to ensure the horrors of the past are never forgotten; thanks all of those who work to educate every person from every background in the UK about the Armenian Genocide, its contemporary relevance, and why we must acknowledge this crime as having happened; urges all Rt hon. and hon. Members to observe this day and to pledge to speak out against the denial of the Armenian Genocide; and calls on the Government to formally recognise the Armenian Genocide.

693Building societies

Tabled: 29/04/24 Signatories: 1

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

That this House recognises the financial and emotional hardship experienced by vulnerable, elderly building society customers and their families through being introduced by building societies which they trusted to firms offering unregulated wills and trusts; acknowledges that the products sold were unsuitable and failed, with investments that did not match members’ attitude to risk, with excessive fees, and ultimately causing the loss of large portions of customers estates, and thereby the loss of their children’s inheritance; highlights the concern victims have that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has failed to act against the building societies despite many FCA Principles for Business being breached, and that the societies failed to perform satisfactory due diligence on the firms they introduced customers to; and as such believes that the FCA should compel the building societies to fully compensate, including for the upset, stress and hardship caused; calls upon the Government to ensure that, if the building societies make an offer of compensation, that the Creditors’ Committee can negotiate on behalf of the impacted individuals and if necessary give powers to the FCA to compel the building societies to compensate the victims in full; and further calls upon the Government to ensure that similar injustices do not happen in the future.

694Dundee United Football Club Scottish Championship winners

Tabled: 29/04/24 Signatories: 5

Kirsten Oswald

Stephen Flynn

Stewart Hosie

Stuart C McDonald

Chris Law

That this House congratulates Dundee United Football Club on their 2023-24 Championship winning season, which means they will be returned to the Scottish Premiership at first time of asking; notes that their victory was secured in the penultimate game of the season against Airdrie at the Excelsior Stadium; further notes that seven DUFC Academy graduates were amongst the Championship winning starting squad of Walton, McClelland, Graham, Wotherspoon, Sibbald, Middleton, Fotheringham, Mochrie, Thomson, Watt, McMann and substitutes Newman, Grimshaw, Moult, Tillson, Meekison, MacLeod, Cudjoe, Gallagher, Cleall-Harding; understands that the Cinch Championship Trophy will be presented on Friday 3 May at Tannadice when Dundee United face Partick Thistle FC in the final game of the season; applauds the efforts of the squad, backroom staff, and manager Jim Goodwin; appreciates the tireless support of United fans, whose enthusiasm and dedication are second to none; recalls that Dundee United, the tangerines, have a proud history over 115 years, since being formed as Dundee Hibernian in 1909, including the club under Jim McLean wining the Scottish Premier League in 1982-83, victory in the Scottish Cup in 1994 and 2010, and the Scottish League Cup in 1979 and 1980, reaching the European Cup semi-finals in 1983–84 and the UEFA Cup final in 1987; notes that Dundee United has a remarkable record having played and won four games against Barcelona, thus enjoying a 100% record against Barcelona in European ties; looks forward to the coming season; and wishes everyone at the club every continued success.

695Royal Bank of Scotland, Newbridge

Tabled: 29/04/24 Signatories: 1

Christine Jardine

That this House notes with concern the Royal Bank of Scotland has announced the closure of their Newbridge branch; further notes with concern that the impact on the residents of Newbridge this will have with their nearest branch now being nearly five miles away in Corstorphine; recognises the importance of the access to physical banking services with the impact of digital exclusion on older members of the community who rely on these services; and regrets the decision taken by the Royal Bank of Scotland’s parent company, NatWest, to close 20% of their branches across the UK.

696Kirkliston Post Office

Tabled: 29/04/24 Signatories: 1

Christine Jardine

That this House regrets the planned closure of the Kirkliston Post Office, a crucial resource for the local community; recognises that this comes just weeks after the announcement of the closure of a vital Royal Bank of Scotland branch in Newbridge; notes with concern that these combined closures leave these villages with no access to in-person banking or access to government services in their local area; acknowledges the particular importance of physical Post Office services to elderly, isolated or vulnerable people; further notes that access to digital services is not universal; believes that there must be a renewed focus on protecting in-person local services; further believes that if pay and conditions are not improved for sub-postmasters and postmistresses, more facilities will be forced to close; and calls on the Government to work with the Post Office to prevent further closures.

697AA810 Spitfire monument project

Tabled: 29/04/24 Signatories: 1

Christine Jardine

That this House welcomes the campaign to create a monument for the unarmed Photograph Reconnaissance Unit for their work on behalf of the armed forces during the Second World War; notes that the unit captured around 20 million images throughout the conflict; regrets that there is no full record of their service to our country; commends the efforts of the AA810 project to both document the names of all who served in the unit and secure a national memorial to the unit in Westminster; encourages all Rt. hon and hon. members to support the campaign; and wishes the AA810 project every success in establishing this much needed monument.

698900th anniversary of founding of City of Edinburgh

Tabled: 29/04/24 Signatories: 1

Christine Jardine

That this House celebrates the 900th anniversary of the founding of the City of Edinburgh and St Giles’ Cathedral; notes the founding of the Cathedral in 1124 by King David I; recognises the cultural, historical and political significance of the role of the City in the last 900 years; further celebrates its diverse and rich culture, which brings over four million tourists a year generating hundreds of millions of pounds to the local economy, highlighted by festivals such as the world famous Fringe Festival and Hogmanay celebrations; further recognises its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995 with its distinguished architecture and natural beauty displayed by landmarks such as Arthur’s Seat; and looks forward to the celebrations, reflecting over the last 900 years and exploring the future of the City.

699Bahrain's sponsorship of the Royal Windsor Horse Show

Tabled: 29/04/24 Signatories: 3

John McDonnell

Kim Johnson

Jeremy Corbyn

That this House expresses concern at Bahrain’s ongoing sponsorship of the Royal Windsor Horse Show 2024, to which the King of Bahrain and other Bahraini royals are likely to attend, despite Bahrain’s appalling human rights record; notes that even after King Hamad’s royal pardon including over 600 political prisoners on 8 April 2024, more than 550 political prisoners remain imprisoned and subject to egregious human rights violations, including prominent opposition leaders, activists and human rights defenders including Abduljalil Al-Singace, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Abdulwahab Husain and Sheikh Abduljalil Al-Muqdad who have been arbitrarily imprisoned since 2011 for their role in the pro-democracy uprising; raises urgent concern about the deteriorating health of Hassan Mushaima, Bahrain’s oldest political prisoner, age 76, who continues to be denied the urgent medical treatment that he requires; is further concerned that 26 individuals remain on death row at imminent risk of execution, many of whom allege torture including Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa; and therefore calls on the Royal Windsor Horse Show to uphold its own human rights policy adopted in 2021 and prevent the show from being used to sportswash the reputation of the Bahraini regime and use all available leverage to encourage King Hamad to immediately and unconditional release all political prisoners.

700205th Glasgow Eaglesham Boys’ Brigade Company

Tabled: 29/04/24 Signatories: 2

Kirsten Oswald

Owen Thompson

That this House congratulates the 205th Glasgow Eaglesham Boys Brigade Company on being crowned national UK champions in the Boys’ Brigade five a side football competition; notes that the 205th won an impressive five out of five matches and conceded only two goals during the competition; recognises the skill and talent of the 205th team, consisting of Murray Black, Lyle Marshall, Finlay Fraser, Robbie McCoull, Samuel Blakely, Jack Ross, Andrew MacKiggan, and Jack Patterson; applauds Finlay Fraser on being named as company player of the year by the referee; understands the Boys’ Brigade celebrated their 140th anniversary in October 2023 and originally started with one group in Glasgow before spreading across the country and around the world, positively impacting the lives of millions of people; and wishes everyone at the 205th Glasgow Eaglesham Boys’ Brigade Company all the very best for the future.

701Samantha Gough Local Women Sport Awards 2024

Tabled: 29/04/24 Signatories: 2

Owen Thompson

Kirsten Oswald

That this House congratulates Samantha Gough for her recent success at the Local Women Sport Awards 2024; acknowledges her award for Special Recognition; recognises how this is a wonderful achievement and a testament to the dedication and hard work that she puts into her sporting career; applauds her recent feature on Sight Scotland’s TV advert for their more than meets the eye campaign; further acknowledges how this award is a well-deserved recognition of her outstanding contribution to women’s football and efforts to advocate for people with disabilities; and wishes Samantha continued success and acclaim in the future.

702Award for HR Hub Plus Limited

Tabled: 29/04/24 Signatories: 2

Richard Thomson

Kirsten Oswald

That this House congratulates Aberdeen-based HR Hub Plus Limited on the company being awarded the Community Award in the Federation of Small Businesses' Celebrating Small Business Awards Scotland 2024; recognises the positive contribution made by HR Hub Plus Limited to the local community through its discounted services to charities, sponsorship of local community events, offering work placements and internships in collaboration with Robert Gordon University and local secondary schools and free CV and interview skills for businesses affected by redundancy and administration; notes the rapid success of the company since being founded in 2018; commends the company’s ethos of respect, trust and inclusion; appreciates the nationwide coverage and range of expertise provided by the company; further recognises the incredible contribution made by businesses such as HR Hub Plus Limited in providing outstanding Human Resources support to small and medium sized businesses; and wishes all those involved with the company every success in the years to come.

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.

580Provand's Lordship Reopening to the Public after Refurbishment Works

Tabled: 15/04/24 Signatories: 10

Alison Thewliss

Jim Shannon

Dr Philippa Whitford

Richard Thomson

Ms Anum Qaisar

Chris Stephens

That this House welcomes the reopening of Provand's Lordship, the oldest intact building in the city of Glasgow; notes that the building is one of only four surviving medieval buildings in the city, built in 1471 as part of the St Nicholas Hospital estate by Andrew de Durisdeer, Bishop of Glasgow; recognises the importance of the £1.6m renovation and conservation works that have been undertaken at the site to ensure its continuity for generations to come; acknowledges the hard work of Glasgow Life and Historic Scotland employees and management in the refurbishment of the building; and wishes all involved the best in all future endeavours.

58130th anniversary of the Well Multi-Cultural Resource Centre

Tabled: 15/04/24 Signatories: 9

Alison Thewliss

Jim Shannon

Dr Philippa Whitford

Richard Thomson

Ms Anum Qaisar

Chris Stephens

That this House congratulates the Well Multi-Cultural Resource Centre in Govanhill, Glasgow, on the 30th anniversary of its opening; notes that the Well was established in March 1994 by the Church of Scotland in order to provide support to the BAME communities of South East Glasgow; recognises that since its establishment in 1994 the Well has provided support to thousands of the residents of South East Glasgow through advice consultations, ESOL classes, social groups, and toddler groups; acknowledges the importance of these activities in tackling social isolation and building strong community links for BAME Glaswegians; thanks the staff and volunteers of the Well for their hard work; and wishes them the best of luck in all future projects.

5963 Dads Walking

Tabled: 15/04/24 Signatories: 16

Owen Thompson

Stuart C McDonald

Jim Shannon

Dr Philippa Whitford

Richard Thomson

Ms Anum Qaisar

That this House commends the extraordinary efforts of Tim Owen, Mike Palmer and Andy Airey, collectively known as 3 Dads Walking, for their tireless dedication to raising awareness of suicide prevention among young people; welcomes them to Scotland and Midlothian as they continue their latest trek; acknowledges the profound impact of their new book Three Dads Walking: 300 Miles of Hope, which shares their deeply personal stories of loss and resilience; applauds their commitment to honouring the memory of their daughters - Sophie, Beth, and Emily - by advocating for suicide prevention measures; recognises their superb fundraising efforts for PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide; further recognises their call for age-related suicide awareness to be included in the national curriculum as evidenced by their petition which garnered more than 100,000 signatures; and highly commends their outstanding dedication, exemplary courage and invaluable contribution to the cause of suicide prevention.

607Hillpark Bowling Club's centenary

Tabled: 15/04/24 Signatories: 10

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Jim Shannon

Dr Philippa Whitford

Richard Thomson

Ms Anum Qaisar

Chris Stephens

That this House celebrates the remarkable achievement of Hillpark Bowling Club as it commemorates its centenary; notes that for 100 years the club has been a beacon of community spirit, promoting sportsmanship and camaraderie; extends sincere thanks to all who run and support Hillpark Bowling Club for their dedication and contributions to the community; and congratulates Hillpark Bowling Club on this significant milestone.

627War in Sudan

Tabled: 17/04/24 Signatories: 16

Alison Thewliss

Jonathan Edwards

Patrick Grady

Angela Crawley

Chris Law

Richard Thomson

That this House mourns the first anniversary of the outbreak of the civil war in Sudan, which began on 15 April 2023; regrets the tragic conflict, which has resulted in a humanitarian and refugee crisis across the country and its neighbours, with more than 8.5 million residents of Sudan displaced due to the fighting as of March 2024; notes that in November, the UN found that the conflict had created the largest child displacement crisis in the world, affecting around three million Sudanese children; acknowledges the disturbing and widespread use of war crimes by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the two main factions of the conflict; recognises that these war crimes have included indiscriminate attacks on residential neighbourhoods, disruption of humanitarian aid, targeting of hospitals and medical services, sexual violence, and massacres against ethnic minorities, in particular the Masalit of West Darfur; condemns all those complicit in war crimes during the conflict; demands an end to the fighting and a resumption of Sudan's democratic transition; calls on the UK Government to meet its obligations to Sudanese nationals displaced by the civil war at home and abroad; and urges the UK Government to do everything in its power to help end the conflict.

630Extended and virtual reality in education

Tabled: 17/04/24 Signatories: 9

Carol Monaghan

Patrick Grady

Alison Thewliss

Chris Law

Richard Thomson

Allan Dorans

That this House welcomes the University of Glasgow’s white paper entitled XRed: Preparing for Immersive Education; notes the value that extended reality and virtual reality technology can and will bring to the future of education; realises that such technology can transform learner experiences, drive imagination and push boundaries; congratulates the Scoping Extended Education Realities (SEER) research group for its work on this field and its ambitions to ensure the virtualisation of education is safe, quick and equitable; further congratulates the SEER group for winning significant funding from the Meta Immersive Learning Fund to facilitate this independent research; acknowledges that the University of Glasgow’s Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre is a leading state-of-the-art facility for driving innovation across Scotland; and calls on the Government to consider the importance that such technology will play in the future of classrooms, museums and across the wider education sector.

645Scotland men’s cerebral palsy football team, world champions

Tabled: 22/04/24 Signatories: 13

Gavin Newlands

Jonathan Edwards

Ben Lake

Hywel Williams

Liz Saville Roberts

Marion Fellows

That this House congratulates the Scotland national men’s cerebral palsy football team on winning the International Federation of CP Football World Championship held in Salou, Spain, after beating Northern Ireland 4-0 in the final; notes that Scotland made the final after finishing top of their group at the championships; further congratulates Northern Ireland for also making the final and finishing second in the group; acknowledges the lead role played by Scottish Para-Football in ensuring our national game is open to as many players as possible, including those with physical disabilities; and celebrates yet another example of Scotland’s footballing prowess as the birthplace of modern football.

646Multiple sclerosis (MS) Awareness Week

Tabled: 22/04/24 Signatories: 20

Charlotte Nichols

Jonathan Edwards

Mary Kelly Foy

Marion Fellows

Ben Lake

Hywel Williams

That this House supports MS Awareness Week, which takes place between 22 and 28 April 2024; recognises that the MS Society, MS Trust, MS Together, MS-UK, the Neuro Therapy Network, Shift.ms and Overcoming MS are working together to speak up about the realities of life with MS, a neurological condition affecting over 130,000 people in the UK; welcomes the MS Unfiltered campaign to shine light on MS topics that can feel taboo or difficult to talk about to enable people to talk honestly and openly about everything from bladder control and sexual dysfunction, to navigating menopause and cultural stigma; notes the MS Unfiltered survey which found that over a third of people with MS have avoided seeking medical help due to embarrassing symptoms while over half said they were embarrassed by bladder issues, more than a quarter were embarrassed by sexual dysfunction, and just under half were embarrassed by walking issues, such as stumbling or not walking in a straight line; and further supports the campaign to raise awareness about the huge range of symptoms and daily challenges that people with MS face.

648Civil Service Pay

Tabled: 22/04/24 Signatories: 31

Chris Stephens

Grahame Morris

John McDonnell

Ian Mearns

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Nadia Whittome

That this House notes that civil service pay has been eroded over the past 40 years, which has seen wages fall from above the national average to below average; regrets that, despite this, the Government did not ring-fence funding for a pay rise for civil servants in the recent Budget; expresses solidarity with the almost 150,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union who are currently balloting for national industrial action in their ongoing dispute over pay, pensions and working conditions; and calls on the Government to get back around the negotiating table with PCS and show respect for their workforce by offering them an inflation-proofed pay rise, pay equity across Government departments, a living wage of £15 per hour, a London weighting provision of at least £5,000 a year, and a minimum of 35 days annual leave.

650Paradise Golf and Beach Resort, Morocco

Tabled: 22/04/24 Signatories: 7

Kirsten Oswald

Jim Shannon

Chris Stephens

Patricia Gibson

Allan Dorans

Chris Law

That this House recognises that some 800 investors, the vast majority of whom are British citizens, made investments in the Moroccan Paradise Golf and Beach Resort which was first advertised in 2006; understands the development was widely promoted as part of Morocco’s Vision 2020 tourism plan and was marketed as a luxurious five-star tourist resort near the city of Tangier, however, the site remains incomplete after construction halted in 2016; notes that this long-running dispute continues to cause distress to investors who have failed to recoup their initial investments with some having lost their life savings; further understands that the developer of the resort was cleared of any wrongdoing; welcomes UK Government officials raising this issue with Moroccan counterparts but notes these discussions have been described as constructive but not conclusive; also understands that the Moroccan Government offered a solution which involved a bank financing the completion of the scheme as documented in Hansard on 17 January 2018; further notes that Lord Ahmad, Minister for North Africa and the Middle East, confirmed in correspondence on 28 March 2024 his understanding that the Moroccan Government wish to see a resolution to this issue; calls on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to take all necessary actions to ensure the Moroccan Government honours its commitment and delivers a solution for British investors; and urges the UK Government to support UK investors’ interests during the ongoing trade negotiations with Morocco.

652Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023

Tabled: 22/04/24 Signatories: 11

Patricia Gibson

Jonathan Edwards

Ben Lake

Hywel Williams

Liz Saville Roberts

Chris Stephens

That this House notes with concern that the Constitutional Court of Uganda recently upheld the provisions of the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 which, it believes, is in defiance of international law; is aware that the legislation, adopted in May 2023, has been described as being among the world's harshest anti-gay laws and has, it believes, rightly drawn condemnation from human rights campaigners across the world; condemns the legislation, which, it understands, imposes penalties of up to life imprisonment for consensual same-sex relations and contains provisions that make aggravated homosexuality an offence punishable by death; understands that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that close to 600 people are reported to have been subjected to human rights violations and abuses based on their actual or imputed sexual orientation or gender identity since the Act was enacted; welcomes the strong international condemnation by elements of the international community, including the United Nations and countries such as the United States; acknowledges reports that activists, including Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, Frank Mugisha, have filed an appeal to Uganda's Supreme Court; and expresses its support to them by backing the repeal of what it considers to be a homophobic and draconian piece of legislation.

655Lesbian Visibility Week

Tabled: 23/04/24 Signatories: 18

Kate Osborne

Dawn Butler

Nadia Whittome

Hannah Bardell

Christine Jardine

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

That this House congratulates Lesbian Visibility Week on their fifth anniversary; notes that the theme for this week is unified not uniform to celebrate the diversity of LGBTQ+ women everywhere; welcomes the representation and acknowledgement of incredible LGBTQ women that Lesbian Visibilty week brings; acknowledges that there are still unique barriers that lesbians face in day to day life that must be urgently addressed; and further notes that this week has never been more important as hate crime abuse continues to rise.

657Childcare for working parents

Tabled: 23/04/24 Signatories: 11

Rachael Maskell

Jim Shannon

Kim Johnson

Dan Carden

Mick Whitley

Chris Stephens

That this House notes the importance of affordable childcare to enable parents, especially mothers, to work; further notes the important contribution of migrants to the economy; welcomes the intention behind the expansion of childcare support for working parents which is currently being rolled out; also notes however that this support is not available equally to all working parents even where they are working the same hours for the same wages; is concerned about the difficulty this creates for excluded families due to the high costs of childcare; and calls on the Government to amend its support scheme so that all parents working the requisite number of hours and earning the requisite salary can access 30 hours of funded childcare, regardless of their immigration status.

660Glenrothes Strollers Women celebrate historic League Cup final win

Tabled: 23/04/24 Signatories: 6

Peter Grant

Jim Shannon

Chris Stephens

Allan Dorans

Chris Law

Kirsten Oswald

That this House congratulates Glenrothes Strollers Women's Team on their recent historic Scottish Women’s Football League Cup win against McDermid Ladies at Alloa Athletics Indodrill Stadium; highlights that just 15 months after establishing the first senior ladies Glenrothes Strollers football team, manager Pauline Harley has led the team to their first League Cup final 2 – 1 victory following goals from Kerri Dinnel and Kerry Forsyth; commends the hard work of all the players and staff on this fantastic achievement; and, following this exceptionally strong start, wishes the team all the very best for its future success.

662Drug and alcohol treatment services for women

Tabled: 23/04/24 Signatories: 11

Rachael Maskell

Jim Shannon

Christine Jardine

Mary Kelly Foy

Chris Stephens

Kate Osborne

That this House acknowledges that women’s substance use often results from trauma and abuse; notes that women’s access to trauma-informed, safe spaces has been limited, as cuts and contract competition have driven service provision to concentrate on its majority male user-base; welcomes the Centre for Justice Innovation’s guide to commissioning drug and alcohol treatment services for women, in helping to ensure services are responsive to women’s experiences; and urges the Government to support and promote the development of a range of bespoke, responsive and sustainable resources enabling more women to access drug and alcohol treatment support.

663National Stalking Awareness Week

Tabled: 23/04/24 Signatories: 9

Liz Saville Roberts

Hywel Williams

Ben Lake

Jim Shannon

Christine Jardine

Chris Stephens

That this House acknowledges National Stalking Awareness Week, beginning on 22 April; notes that stalking and harassment accounted for a third of all police recorded violence in the year ending September 2023 and that around 1.6 million people over 16 were estimated to be victims of stalking in England and Wales in the year ending March 2023; further notes that only 6.6 per cent of reports of stalking to the police in the year ending March 2022 resulted in a Crown Prosecution Service charge, with only 1.4 per cent of cases ending in conviction; recognises such failings across the criminal justice system in relation to stalking offences, particularly in terms of support provided to victims of stalking as campaigners including the victims’ commissioner for London, Claire Waxman, and Gwynedd activist, Rhianon Bragg, have underlined; highlights the recommendations of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, including specialist stalking training requirements for all professionals dealing with stalking cases and a unified recording system to be used by all agencies involved to follow a victim’s journey through the criminal justice system; calls for the establishment of dedicated, specially trained multi-agency teams in each police force area to work positively to manage stalking behaviours and reduce the risk of harm for victims; and further calls on the Government to revise stalking laws alongside wider criminal justice system reforms, including the introduction of a single standalone stalking offence to ensure more robust sentencing.

665FA Cup replays

Tabled: 23/04/24 Signatories: 10

Martin Vickers

George Galloway

Jonathan Edwards

Mr Clive Betts

Shaun Bailey

Sir Mike Penning

That this House regrets the decision to end replays in the FA Cup; and calls on the football authorities to reconsider this decision.

666Work Capability Assessment reforms

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 8

Marion Fellows

Richard Burgon

Deidre Brock

Dr Philippa Whitford

Allan Dorans

Chris Law

That this House expresses its deep concern that the Government’s proposed Work Capability Assessment reforms will expose more people, including disabled people and those with long-term health conditions to work conditionality and the threat of benefit sanctions; recognises that there is considerable evidence, including the Department of Work and Pension’s own report entitled The Impact of Benefit Sanctions on Employment Outcomes, published on 6 April 2023, that conditionality, and in particular the use of sanctions, is counterproductive in efforts to support people into sustainable work and causes unnecessary hardship; acknowledges that the use of sanctions are harmful to people’s health and wellbeing, further punishing society's most vulnerable people; notes that removing the Work Capability Assessment risks conflating incapacity and disability payments, as not everyone who is sick and not able to work will qualify for disability payments; further notes that there is no safety net for people with short-term ill-health and sickness to manage their condition and live a dignified, independent life; and calls on the Government to stop the implementation of their Work Capability Assessment changes which will lead to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions losing out financially.

668Animals

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 6

Mrs Natalie Elphicke

Jonathan Edwards

Stella Creasy

Alex Sobel

Charlotte Nichols

Wera Hobhouse

That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, praying that the Official Controls (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2024 (S.I., 2024, No. 541), dated 22 April 2024, a copy of which was laid before this House on 22 April 2024, be annulled.

670Diversion schemes for drug-related offending

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 6

Grahame Morris

Rachael Maskell

Richard Burgon

Jonathan Edwards

Caroline Lucas

Ian Mearns

That this House endorses the recognition from Dame Carol Black and the Home Affairs Committee that improved use of diversion schemes, where police deal with low-level offending without the involvement of courts, can be an important tool in reducing drug-related crime; pays tribute to the pioneering work of Police-led Drug Diversion (PDD) schemes such as Durham’s Checkpoint programme led by the late Ron Hogg, the West Midlands’ Operation Turning Point and the Thames Valley Druglink scheme championed by former Chief Inspector Jason Kew; highlights the importance of community resolution to preclude the need for arrest and to facilitate access to education, treatment and support services; welcomes the work of Professor Alex Stevens of the University of Kent and Paul Quinton from the College of Policing in providing evaluation of PDD schemes and identification of best practice; believes this will establish effective national standards and a template to end the patchy postcode-lottery of provision; and calls on the Government to commit to consistent national roll-out of high-standard diversion schemes, as soon as practicable, to provide a cost-effective alternative to the current cycle of criminalisation and reoffending.

672UK’s national minorities

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 10

Ben Lake

Liz Saville Roberts

Hywel Williams

Mary Kelly Foy

Dave Doogan

Allan Dorans

That this House marks the 10th anniversary of the UK Government recognising the Cornish as a national minority through the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities; notes that this landmark decision set out numerous obligations including support for language and culture, education and the media, the greater visibility of national minorities in public life, the protection of historic territories, more opportunities on the international stage; further notes that the decision should afford the Cornish the same status as the UK’s other national minorities; is however concerned that the UK Government has yet to fully meets its obligations under the Framework Convention by treating Cornwall equally with the other national parts of the UK; and calls on the UK Government to deliver meaningful devolution through the creation of a legislative Cornish Parliament or a National Assembly of Cornwall, full membership of the British-Irish Council and other trans-national bodies, fair funding for Cornwall and its public services, a Cornish Language Act, and public service broadcasting provision for Cornwall.

674150th anniversary of Inverness Bowling Club

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 6

Drew Hendry

Allan Dorans

Chris Law

Jim Shannon

Kirsten Oswald

Richard Thomson

That this House congratulates Inverness Bowling Club on celebrating their 150th anniversary; recognises the hard work and efforts of all those over the years who have contributed to the club's lasting success; and wishes them continued success for the future.

675Inverness Rowing Club and the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta 2024

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 5

Drew Hendry

Allan Dorans

Chris Law

Jim Shannon

Richard Thomson

That this House congratulates teenagers Sam Roxburgh and Shay Hammock on their success in being called up to represent Scotland at the Junior Inter Regional Regatta at Nottingham this month; recognises that the pair, both of Inverness Rowing Club, have been selected to represent their country in singles competitions in their respective age groups against top junior rowers from across Great Britain; further recognises that this is the first time Scotland will be represented at this event; and wishes them every success for the competition, and in their future rowing careers.

676Student debt

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 9

Jon Trickett

George Galloway

Mary Kelly Foy

Richard Burgon

Jonathan Edwards

Caroline Lucas

That this House expresses its concern at the excessive levels of student debt and loan repayment rates; notes that the average student leaves university with £50,000 worth of debt and is currently required to repay 9% on everything they earn over £27,295 a year; further notes that as of April 2024 the current rate of interest for student debt is 7.8%; recognises that many former students are accruing more in interest each year than they are repaying and that 51% of students who took out their loans before August 2023 will never repay their debts in full; believes that the current system of university financing based on tuition fees and high levels of student debt is economically unsustainable and reckless; further believes that higher education is a vital public good that benefits the whole of society and the burden for funding it should fall on the wealthiest; urges the Government to take immediate action to reduce the student debt burden; and calls on the Government to launch a review into the funding of higher education examining the possibility of abolishing tuition fees and funding higher education through wealth and income taxes.

677Bombay Lounge restaurant in Midlothian, Curry Restaurant of the Year at Scottish Curry Awards 2024

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 7

Owen Thompson

Drew Hendry

Allan Dorans

Chris Law

Jim Shannon

Kirsten Oswald

That this House congratulates the Bombay Lounge restaurant in Dalkeith, Midlothian, for their recent success at the Scottish Curry Awards 2024; recognises their award for Curry Restaurant of the Year; acknowledges how this is a wonderful accomplishment and a testament to the dedication and hard work put into their restaurant; further acknowledges how this award is a well-deserved recognition of the Bombay Lounge team’s efforts and the wonderful experiences they provide to customers; and wishes the Bombay Lounge continued success and acclaim in the future.

678Disability benefits assessment process

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 8

Jon Trickett

Mary Kelly Foy

Richard Burgon

Jonathan Edwards

Caroline Lucas

Jim Shannon

That this House expresses its concern about the application and assessment process for disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payments and Universal Credit Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity; notes that the Government is proposing to end GP involvement in the process; further notes that disability rights campaigners have argued that phone assessments and to a lesser extent face-to-face assessments do not give an accurate understanding of someone's ability to work or the level of support they need; believes that GPs have a role to play in the assessment of disability needs; and calls on the Government to review disability benefit assessment processes with the aim of creating a system that is easier and friendlier to navigate for people with disabilities.

679Matthew Wynee, Scotland cerebral palsy football team

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 6

Kirsten Oswald

Dr Philippa Whitford

Allan Dorans

Chris Law

Jim Shannon

Richard Thomson

That this House congratulates the Scotland Cerebral Palsy Football Team on winning the IFCPF World Championships; recognises that Matthew Wynee, a football coach at East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure Trust, captained the team and was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament; recognises that Matthew scored the opening goal of the final match after just six minutes of play and a second goal later in the match; commends Matthew and his teammates on their 4-nil victory over Northern Ireland in the final that took place on 18 April in Salou, Spain; and applauds the efforts of Matthew and his teammates and wishes them well for future competitions.

680Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 13

Apsana Begum

Andy McDonald

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Jeremy Corbyn

Zarah Sultana

Nadia Whittome

That this House marks that on 24 April it is 11 years since the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which killed at least 1,132 workers and injured more than 2,500, a large proportion of whom were women in what was one of the worst industrial accidents on record; is concerned at the ongoing poor labour conditions, low wages and unsafe work environments, with a high incidence of work-related accidents and deaths, faced by workers in the garment sector worldwide; is alarmed at the ongoing suppression of trade union and collective bargaining rights in the garment industry and, that since the covid-19 pandemic, there is evidence of worsening health and safety standards, increased gender discrimination and reports of concerning levels of workplace gender-based violence and harassment; recognises that without the ability to organise, workers are inhibited from fully securing improved working conditions and/or challenging abuse; and believes that all workers deserve a workplace that provides them with a living wage, decent working conditions and trade union rights including the right to refuse unsafe work, to take strike action and to collectively bargain.

681Remembering Fergie MacDonald

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 10

Angus Brendan MacNeil

Chris Stephens

Ian Blackford

Wendy Chamberlain

Carol Monaghan

Jamie Stone

That this House notes with sadness the passing of the great Fergie MacDonald, the legendary Scottish Ceilidh King and bandleader, who died aged 86 on 23 April 2024; pays tribute to his life and the joy and delight he brought to so many throughout the Highlands, Scotland, the pan-Celtic nations and through many other parts of the world; further notes that he lived a full Highland life as a stalker, gamekeeper, maybe even poacher, and most famously as a musician with the button box accordion, previous to that he was a physiotherapist to Partick Thistle FC in Glasgow and a trainer for the Fort William Shinty Club; also notes his successful music career spanning over 60 years with 23 released albums and many more original musical compositions, including topping the Scottish singles charts in 1966 with Loch Maree Islands; recognises his induction into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame; recalls his fantastic biography Fergie: Memoirs of a Musical Legend with Allan Henderson; remembers fondly his sense of fun, character, wit, humour and good nature which is why his passing is noted especially by so many Highland communities who valued and loved Fergie being Fergie with his trademark red socks on some small village hall stage entertaining the local community or a variety of weddings, with dances, tunes and entertaining chitchat in between which brought him affection and fans from near and far; and joins with his family and friends in mourning the passing of a Highland legend.

682World Malaria Day 2024

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 12

Patrick Grady

Stuart C McDonald

Wendy Chamberlain

Deidre Brock

Dr Philippa Whitford

Jonathan Edwards

That this House notes that Thursday 25 April 2024 has been designated as World Malaria Day by the World Health Organisation, marking the 17th time the day has been observed since its establishment by the World Health Assembly in 2007; further notes that this year's theme focuses on accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world, drawing attention to the decline in progress toward reducing malaria globally, particularly in the WHO African Region which in 2022 accounted for 94% of malaria cases and 95% of deaths and, that on current trajectories, critical 2025 milestones of the WHO global malaria strategy for reductions in malaria cases and deaths will be missed; also notes that the disease continues to directly endanger health and cost lives, and perpetuates a vicious cycle of inequity, with people living in the most vulnerable situations including pregnant women, infants, children under five years of age, refugees, migrants, internally displaced people, and Indigenous Peoples disproportionately impacted; and calls on the UK Government to increase its focus on working towards Sustainable Development Goal 3.3 to end the malaria epidemic, and to contribute required funding at the upcoming replenishments of Gavi, the vaccine alliance and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

683Two-child benefits limit

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 24

Mary Kelly Foy

George Galloway

Jon Trickett

Richard Burgon

Kate Osborne

Jeremy Corbyn

That this House recognises the new research from the End Child Poverty Coalition which highlights the extent to which the two-child limit impacts single parents and families with disabled children; notes that 20% of all households impacted by the two-child limit are families with at least one disabled child, which is just over 87,500 households; further notes that 25% of all families impacted by the two-child limit are single-parent households, with a child under 3; expresses incredulity that no assessment of the potential correlation between the proportion of children living in households affected by the two-child limit and levels of child poverty has been made by the Department for Work and Pensions; and calls for the two-child limit to be reconsidered.

684School Games Mark, Finchale Primary in the City of Durham

Tabled: 25/04/24 Signatories: 2

Mary Kelly Foy

Ian Mearns

That this House congratulates Finchale Primary in the City of Durham for achieving platinum status in the School Games Mark; notes the innovative practices the school has employed to equip staff with additional skills to delivery school sports effectively; further notes the importance of physical education for pupils’ wellbeing; encourages the Government to do more to support physical education in our schools; and wishes Finchale Primary the very best for the future.

685ANZAC Day 2024

Tabled: 25/04/24 Signatories: 3

Andrew Rosindell

Sir Mike Penning [R]

Jim Shannon

That this House remembers the heroic campaign that followed the landings of Allied forces at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, on 25 April 1915; joins all Australians and New Zealanders in commemorating the bravery of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who, together with their British colleagues and others sacrificed so much in defence of freedom; expresses its pride at the close association that exists between the people of these three nations bound together by language, history, and culture and by sharing His Majesty King Charles III as Head of State; and commends all those involved in the organisation of this year's Anzac Day commemorations in London held at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, at Westminster Abbey, and at Westminster Hall on Thursday 25 April 2024.

686School Games Mark, Sherburn Primary in the City of Durham

Tabled: 25/04/24 Signatories: 2

Mary Kelly Foy

Ian Mearns

That this House congratulates Sherburn Primary in the City of Durham for achieving platinum status in the School Games Mark; notes the innovative practices the school has employed to equip staff with additional skills to delivery school sports effectively; further notes the importance of physical education for pupils’ wellbeing; encourages the Government to do more to support physical education in our schools; and wishes Sherburn Primary the very best for the future.

687School Games Mark, Neville’s Cross Primary in the City of Durham

Tabled: 25/04/24 Signatories: 2

Mary Kelly Foy

Ian Mearns

That this House congratulates Neville’s Cross Primary in the City of Durham for achieving platinum status in the School Games Mark; notes the innovative practices the school has employed to equip staff with additional skills to delivery school sports effectively; further notes the importance of physical education for pupils’ wellbeing; encourages the Government to do more to support physical education in our schools; and wishes Neville’s Cross Primary the very best for the future.

68820th anniversary of The Leither Magazine

Tabled: 25/04/24 Signatories: 9

Deidre Brock

Drew Hendry

Stuart C McDonald

Brendan O'Hara

Allan Dorans

Chris Law

That this House congratulates The Leither Magazine on its 20 year anniversary; notes the publication is read by around 45,000 people from Leith, Edinburgh and beyond, having built a strong readership since it was founded in 2004 by Billy Gould; congratulates the editorial, sales, design and writing teams and everyone involved with producing the Leither for their hard work and dedication which ensures each issue is an engaging read, covering topics as diverse, interesting and offbeat as the community it represents; recognises the importance of independent community journalism like The Leither in a world of increasingly centralised media voices; and wishes the Leither every success as it continues to provide its own unique take on the world from this vibrant historic docklands.

689Leith Croft Community Pavilion

Tabled: 25/04/24 Signatories: 11

Deidre Brock

Drew Hendry

Dr Philippa Whitford

Stuart C McDonald

Brendan O'Hara

Allan Dorans

That this House congratulates the Leith Croft Community Pavilion on being shortlisted for a My Place Community Award 2024; applauds the inspiring work of this grassroots project which cleared two acres of debris-strewn wasteland and repaired, refurbished and returned a dilapidated old tennis pavilion for community use; notes the site now provides shared food growing plots to about 120 urban crofters and their families, a social enterprise tree nursery, horticultural training, a biodiversity play area, picnic facilities and a community cafe; further notes the project is run by local charity Earth in Common, founded by Evie Murray and built from a grassroots movement of Leith families who wanted to give their children a healthy outdoor experience in a crowded urban environment; welcomes the national platform provided by the My Place Awards from the Scottish Civic Trust to local community-led regenerative projects such as this; and thanks everyone involved including the many staff, volunteers and crofters for making this a fantastic new home for nature and people, benefitting thousands of Leithers.

690Border Force staff at Heathrow Airport

Tabled: 26/04/24 Signatories: 12

John McDonnell

Ian Byrne

Jonathan Edwards

Charlotte Nichols

Mary Kelly Foy

Jon Trickett

That this House expresses support and solidarity to members of the PCS union taking industrial action against their employer, Border Force, at Heathrow Airport; notes that on 29 April around 250 staff are being forced out of their current jobs on passport control as the Home Office have indicated they will no longer accommodate their contractual flexible working arrangements, reasonable adjustments or ‘legacy’ contractual terms on a new fixed teams based roster; believes that the proposed new roster will not effectively deal with the issues which the Home Office claims it is intended to address and that, on the contrary, the inflexibility of the roster will see many staff come off the roster or leave the service; and therefore calls on the Home Office to address staff concerns and agree to shift from its current entrenched position so that further industrial action might be averted.

691TS Scylla Sea Cadet Unit, Aberdeen

Tabled: 26/04/24 Signatories: 3

Richard Thomson

Jim Shannon

Kirsten Oswald

That this House notes the fundraising efforts currently being carried out by Sea Cadet Helen Buswell and her colleagues at TS Scylla in Aberdeen by means of a sponsored walk; understands that in common with other Sea Cadet units, TS Scylla aims to give young people an experience that will help them grow into the person they want to be in a safe and friendly environment; is aware that through various activities and adventures, Sea Cadets learn teamwork, respect, loyalty, self-confidence, commitment, self-discipline, honesty and how to be the best version of themselves; and wishes the team at TS Scylla continued success going forward.