Contents

Published: Wednesday 8 May 2024

Early Day Motions tabled on Tuesday 7 May 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

72225th anniversary of Ashwood Scotland Ltd

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 1

Hannah Bardell

That this House congratulates Ashwood Scotland Ltd on its 25th anniversary; recognises that Ashwood Scotland was founded in 1999 and began operating out of a small office in Livingston; also congratulates it on its significant success since then, including the completion of over 500 projects; commends Ashwood Scotland’s focus on supporting positive mental health in its staff and taking part in community building projects; highlights their founder and Managing Director, Archie Meikle, and the rest of the wonderful staff keeping the company thriving today; and wishes Ashwood Scotland every success for the future and Archie Meikle joy in his retirement.

723Trans+ History Week

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 9

Kate Osborne

Nadia Whittome

Charlotte Nichols

Dr Jamie Wallis

Apsana Begum

Zarah Sultana

That this House welcomes the first ever Trans+ History Week; notes that this groundbreaking initiative is aimed at educating and celebrating the millenia-old history of transgender non-binary gender-diverse and intersex individuals; and further acknowledges that the achievements of trans+ people deserve recognition.

72430th anniversary of the International Working Group on Women and Sport

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 1

Sarah Dyke

That this House congratulates the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport on the 30th anniversary of their inception in 1994; recognises the success of the IWG in gaining the support of over 600 international sporting federations from around the globe who have signed their Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration; celebrates the launch of the IWG’s webinar series that complements the refreshed IWG Insight Hub; notes, however, that there is much more work needed to increase opportunities for women and girls in sport; is concerned that only 19% of girls aspire to reach the top in sports; is alarmed by the lack of space for girls to play sport, with recent research showing that 49% of girls feel unsafe in local parks and just 34% enjoy exercise in local parks; calls on the Government to improve the safeguarding of space for women and girls to play sport; and encourages continued action at all levels to achieve gender-parity within sport.

725Government surveillance of bank accounts

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 17

Richard Burgon

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

John McDonnell

Nadia Whittome

Margaret Greenwood

Apsana Begum

That this House is deeply alarmed by new powers contained within the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill that would allow the Government to engage in the mass surveillance of tens of millions of people's bank accounts; notes that these new powers would force banks to spy on the 23 million individuals in the welfare system, including those who are disabled, sick, caregivers, jobseekers and pensioners, as well as on the private banking data of people related to them including partners, parents, landlords and other associates; further notes that this will be reliant on systems using artificial intelligence to monitor the accounts of all customers to flag activity considered suspicious by the Department for Work and Pensions and believes that this risks creating a Post Office Horizon-style scandal where innocent people suffered wrongful prosecutions, financial ruin and reputational damage; believes that this is a huge infringement on an individual’s right to financial privacy and violates the principle of a presumption of innocence that people should not be spied on unless the police suspect wrongdoing; rejects the idea of treating the disabled, sick, carers or those looking for work as criminals by default; further believes that the Government already has significant powers to review the bank statements of fraud suspects under existing laws; and calls on the Government to remove these powers from the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill.

72620th anniversary of the Trinjan group

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 1

Seema Malhotra

That this House extends its congratulations to the Trinjan group and its committee as it celebrates its 20th anniversary; notes that it was founded on 27 April 27 2004 by Mohinder Dosanjh with Mindu Bains, Harbans Dosanjh, Usha Kiran Trikala, Tara Walia, Amarjit Sidhu, Jatinder Wadhva, Ranju Parshotam and Inderjit Takhar; congratulates and thanks its honorary volunteers who are vital for all its work; further notes that it has been steadfast in its mission to empower women and foster their engagement within local communities; acknowledges Trinjan's invaluable platform, providing women with opportunities for socialisation, networking, and sharing experiences; commends its fundraising efforts, including raising over £50,000 for the Mulberry Centre cancer patient support charity at West Middlesex University Hospital; notes that during lockdown it raised money for charities linked with the NHS, PSP and Encephalitis; recognises the impact of Trinjan as a lifeline for women facing loneliness and isolation particularly after bereavement or illness and its commitment to promoting women's health, fitness, and overall wellbeing; and applauds Trinjan's efforts in building alliances that promote community cohesion and charitable endeavours.

727No confidence in His Majesty's Government

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 3

Ed Davey

Daisy Cooper

Wendy Chamberlain

That this House has no confidence in His Majesty's Government.

728Water sports and pollution

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 1

Jamie Stone

That this House notes the danger posed by water pollution and sewage spills to water sports athletes and participants; recognises that these sports, including angling, rowing, swimming, surfing and others are some the most popular participation sports in the UK; expresses its concern that the viability of certain sports may be threatened by water pollution; welcomes the campaign of the Clean Water Sports Alliance; urges the Government to support sports clubs affected by sewage dumping; and calls on the Government to take further and faster action on pollution by ending sewage dumping, banning water executives from paying themselves bonuses until sewage dumping stops, transforming England’s water companies into public benefit companies, replacing Ofwat with a new regulator with proper teeth to tackle sewage dumping, and introducing a sewage tax to fund the clean up of the most polluted lakes, rivers and coastlines.

729Tom Stoltman, Winner of World's Strongest Man Competition

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 1

Jamie Stone

That this House offers its utmost congratulations to Tom Stoltman on his incredible achievement of winning World’s Strongest Man 2024; notes this is the third time he has claimed the title in only four years; further notes the sacrifices and challenges he has faced on his journey; and recognises the inspiring work he and his brother have done to act as ambassadors for the sport at a local level in the Highlands and nationally across the UK.

730200th anniversary of the First Market in Crossgar

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 1

Jim Shannon

That this House celebrates the 200th anniversary of the First Market in Crossgar, that will be held on Saturday 11 May 2024; notes that in association with the Crossgar Historical Society, the Cats Protection Downpatrick Branch will host a charity spring variety sale in Crossgar War Memorial Hall; highlights the establishment of Crossgar Market in 1824 to coincide with the naming of the village; and sends best wishes to all those celebrating the event this week.

731Dementia Action Week

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 1

Jim Shannon

That this House notes Dementia Action Week 2024, taking place from 13 to 19 May 2024; highlights that Dementia Action Week is an awareness raising campaign and each year the Alzheimer's Society works with individuals and organisations across the UK to encourage people to act on Dementia; underlines the support offered to those pre and post diagnosis and furthermore the advice offered to help people cope with memory loss and other immediate symptoms; further notes that there are over 900,000 people living with Dementia in the UK and that this is expected to rise sharply in the coming years; thanks charities like the Alzheimer's Society for all the support they provide in relation to this; and also notes that people collectively can continue to do their bit to educate themselves on how best to assist those with Dementia.

732Frome Town FC promotion to Southern League Premier South

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 1

Sarah Dyke

That this House congratulates Frome Town FC on their victory in the Division One South play-off final and promotion to the Southern League Premier South; looks forward to watching Frome Town FC compete next season; recognises that grassroots sports clubs are often at the heart of local communities; however is concerned by the financial pressures non-league football clubs are facing; believes action is needed to ensure non-league football clubs are not lost; disagrees with the Football Association’s recent decision to scrap FA Cup replays after the first round; and wants to see a more equitable sharing of power throughout football governance.

733Declaration to mark the visit of Father Gabriel Romanelli to Scotland

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 1

Patrick Grady

That this House welcomes the joint declaration by the Archbishop of Glasgow, Most Rev William Nolan, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, issued on 26th April 2024 to mark the visit to Glasgow of Father Gabriel Romanelli, Parish Priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza; notes that the declaration expresses solidarity with all the sons and daughters of Abraham, the peoples of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim heritage in the Holy Land, those of other faiths and none across the region, and recognises that millions of innocent people have suffered the consequences of violence and war, families and communities have been devastated, many have lost hope for a peaceful future and that men, women and children have been robbed of their innate human dignity and their right to survive; further notes that in stating enough is enough, the statement expresses hope that all may know deep peace and reconciliation in their lifetimes, supports agencies and individuals who are serving those suffering at their time of greatest need, unites with all people of good will who are campaigning for an end to this violence, resolves to never not lose hope, and prays that the hearts of people in positions of power to end this senseless violence may be turned towards compassion, and that they may have the courage and wisdom to pursue the path of justice and peace for all who call the Holy Land home.

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.

657Childcare for working parents

Tabled: 23/04/24 Signatories: 14

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.

670Diversion schemes for drug-related offending

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 12

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: 17

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.

683Two-child benefits limit

Tabled: 24/04/24 Signatories: 29

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.

707Wheelchair rugby

Tabled: 30/04/24 Signatories: 5

Sarah Dyke

Jim Shannon

Wendy Chamberlain

Chris Stephens

Lloyd Russell-Moyle

That this House congratulates Josh Payne-Gover’s success in wheelchair rugby; wishes him the best of luck in achieving a place in the Team GB squad for the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028; notes the high financial cost of equipment necessary to participate in wheelchair rugby; praises Josh’s successful campaign to raise money for a new elite level titanium rugby chair; notes the financial barriers disabled people face when competing in sport; expresses concern that 37% of disabled people cite the cost-of-living crisis as a hindrance to partaking in sport; encourages steps to ensure more disability sport is shown on free-to-air TV; and stresses the importance of providing councils with support to enhance community sporting facilities, including facilities for disabled people.

711Holocaust Memorial proposal

Tabled: 1/05/24 Signatories: 2

Sir Peter Bottomley

Sir Edward Leigh

That this House notes the First Special Report of the Holocaust Memorial Bill Select Committee, HC121, on the problems with the current proposal and the restrictions faced by the Committee considering the hybrid Bill; respects the conclusions and recommendations on page 20; agrees with the list of matters related to the current proposals for a Holocaust Memorial and believes these need updated attention on deliverability from the Infrastructure Commission, from the National Audit Office on likely capital costs and recurrent annual costs, from the Chancellor on future funding control, and from the police and security services on maintaining unfettered public access for use of Victoria Tower Gardens while protecting the Memorial; asks His Majesty's Government and the Holocaust Memorial Foundation agency to commission the views of the property consultants on a comparison of the current proposal by Sir David Adjaye in Victoria Tower Gardens with viable alternatives, to commission the full appraisal and to hold a public consultation on the selection of site; and further asks His Majesty's Government to commit to having this or an amended proposal considered first by the local planning authority before considering whether to call in the application, noting that an open-minded observer could doubt another minister in the Levelling Up department should be asked to make an independent decision on an application by the Secretary of State.

712Larne Football Club

Tabled: 1/05/24 Signatories: 4

Sammy Wilson

Sir Mike Penning

Jonathan Edwards

Jim Shannon

That this House congratulates Larne Football Club on winning the Irish league title for the second year running; congratulates the players on their dedication; praises the manager, Tiernan Lynch, on his leadership of the team; thanks Kenny Bruce for the financial commitment he has made to the club; recognises the important role played by the dedicated followers who attend matches on a weekly basis; welcomes the commitment to building for the future through the football academy, which has been established to bring on new players and the 500 youngsters in the youth teams; and believes that sporting success has engendered civic pride and improved community relations in the town.

713Tall ship Tenacious

Tabled: 1/05/24 Signatories: 5

Munira Wilson

Chris Stephens

Sir Stephen Timms

Ian Blackford

Jim Shannon

That this House celebrates the legacy of the Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST) in providing life-changing opportunities for over 55,000 people who have sailed with JST tall ships, which were purpose-built with initial funding from the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II fund, and the aim of integrating able-bodied and disabled people through tall ship ocean sailing voyages, in which no-one is a passenger and everyone works the ship; notes that the SV Tenacious, the largest wooden tall ship built in the UK for 100 years, is the only remaining tall ship in service in the world which is equipped for disabled and non-disabled crew to sail together on equal terms; recognises the deep regret at the announcement that the JST has ceased operations and the ship’s owning company put into administration, as a result of financial difficulties worsened by inactivity during the pandemic; acknowledges that without this ship, which is equipped with measures such as wheelchair access, a speaking compass, visual and tactile alarms and signage in Braille, many people with differing abilities will not be able to experience the freedom of ocean sailing, regardless of physical limitations, which has, over the decades, created immeasurable cascading benefits to the lives of voyage crew, through the challenging and transformative adventure of tall ship sailing; and further commends the Save Tall Ship Tenacious campaign, wishing them success in their ongoing efforts to save this unique vessel, a shining example of inclusion and equality for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions.

714Gabriel Fares and the Welsh Three Peaks challenge

Tabled: 1/05/24 Signatories: 6

Liz Saville Roberts

Ben Lake

Hywel Williams

Chris Stephens

Carol Monaghan

Jim Shannon

That this House commends six year old Gabriel Fares of Llwyngwril for undertaking the Welsh Three Peaks challenge to raise awareness of his family’s plight in Gaza; notes with concern that members of Gabriel’s extended family remain displaced in Rafah with their homes in Khan Yunis completely destroyed; further notes that the situation on the ground in Gaza is dire, with food, water and medicine incredibly scarce, with bombs continuing to fall all around them; recognises the challenge facing Gabriel as he prepares to climb Wales’s three highest peaks, Yr Wyddfa, Cader Idris, and Pen y Fan with his grandad; further recognises Gabriel’s efforts to date in advancing calls for a ceasefire in Gaza by attending local peace rallies and meetings; and calls on the UK Government to take immediate action and create safe, viable routes for the family of British Palestinians to evacuate and seek safety in the UK.

715Constitutional status of the Punjab region

Tabled: 1/05/24 Signatories: 2

George Galloway

Jim Shannon

That this House recognises the distinct cultural, historical, and linguistic identity of the Punjab region within India; appreciates the vibrant contributions of the Punjabi community to the global diaspora, including that within the United Kingdom; acknowledges the aspirations of many Punjabis for greater self-governance akin to the status afforded to Scotland within the `United Kingdom; supports the right of regions to self-determination within the framework of their national constitutions; calls upon the Government of India to consider granting Punjab a level of autonomy that allows for the self-administration of its cultural, economic, and educational affairs, similar to that enjoyed by Scotland; further urges the UK Government to facilitate and support peaceful dialogue between Punjabi representatives and the Government of India to explore possibilities for enhanced autonomy; and finally encourages all parties to engage in these discussions with the aim of fostering greater understanding, economic development, and social harmony in the region.

717Trial and release of Jagtar Singh Johal

Tabled: 1/05/24 Signatories: 3

George Galloway

Jonathan Edwards

Jim Shannon

That this House expresses its deep concern over the ongoing detention of British citizen Jagtar Singh Johal who was arrested in Punjab, India on 4 November 2017; notes the allegations of torture and denial of fair trial rights as documented by international human rights bodies; recognises the significant distress this has caused to his family and the wider Sikh community in the UK; calls on the Government to intensify diplomatic efforts to ensure Mr Johal receives a fair trial per international legal standards and is afforded protection against any form of torture and mistreatment; urges the Indian authorities to provide transparent evidence and legal justification for Mr. Johal’s continued detention; and further calls for Mr. Johal’s immediate release if no credible evidence is presented.

71846th anniversary of the murder of Altab Ali

Tabled: 2/05/24 Signatories: 8

Apsana Begum

Caroline Lucas

Mary Kelly Foy

Jim Shannon

Christine Jardine

Clive Lewis

That this House marks the 46th anniversary of the racially motivated murder of the 25-year-old textile factory worker, Altab Ali, on 4th May 1978; notes that in the 1970s far right activity and racism was prevalent in East London and that Asian and Black people were frequently attacked; recognises that Altab Ali’s murder sparked protests and anti-racist campaigning leading to the historic Battle for Brick Lane and the birth of groups like the Anti-Nazi League and Rock against Racism; plays tribute in particular to the Bangladeshi community and allies in East London’s resistance to far-right extremism and institutional racism; expresses concern at the current increase in far right activity and rising levels of racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism; and stands in solidarity with our diverse communities in opposition to the far right and those who try to divide society with fear, bigotry and intolerance.

719Allocation of levelling up funding

Tabled: 2/05/24 Signatories: 5

Helen Morgan [R]

Wendy Chamberlain

Jim Shannon

Jon Trickett

Lloyd Russell-Moyle

That this House notes with concern the amount spent by local authorities of all parties on bids for levelling up funding that have been unsuccessful; further notes that levelling up funding has not been allocated to the areas with highest levels of deprivation; notes that levelling up funding has not been awarded for projects with a clear regenerative impact, but has been awarded for projects with a purely cosmetic benefit; notes that small awards of funding do not outweigh the impact of significant cuts to real-terms funding for local authorities since 2015; notes that only 10% of funds allocated have been spent to date; notes that local authorities delivering successful project bids have grappled with significant additional costs during the delivery phase, eroding the value of disbursements; and calls on the Government to review the Fair Funding Formula such that resources are allocated to local authorities on the basis of need and the cost of delivering services to local people.

7202024 Basque regional election results

Tabled: 2/05/24 Signatories: 5

Hywel Williams

Liz Saville Roberts

Ben Lake

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

This House notes the results of the 2024 Basque regional election held on 21 April; congratulates EH Bildu for receiving the best election results in its history having won over 340,000 votes and 27 seats, an increase of six since the last election; commends EH Bildu for the positive and peaceful vision it offered voters during the election with a focus on health, housing, employment and the concerns of young people; and calls on the United Kingdom to strengthen ties with the Basque Country in the spirit of promoting peace and democratic values.

721World Press Freedom Day

Tabled: 2/05/24 Signatories: 15

Jeremy Corbyn

Hywel Williams

John McDonnell

Jonathan Edwards

Richard Burgon

Ian Lavery

This House applauds World Press Freedom Day in declaring its respect and admiration for all journalists and media representatives around the world who face the horrors of possible harassment, incarceration, injury, and death; deplores the targeting of journalists who are simply carrying out their invaluable work; mourns those journalists who have died in conflicts both past and present; notes the significant death toll in Russia - 11 since February 2022 - and Gaza - 92 Palestinians, 2 Israelis since 7 November 2023; condemns the persecution of journalists speaking out against these wars, including the detention of Evan Gershkovich in Russia and the continued imprisonment of Julian Assange, who is being held in a maximum security prison for his role in exposing the truth about war crimes; and demands the release of all journalists who have been persecuted for doing their job.