Commons business papers

Contents

Published: Wednesday 22 May 2024

Early Day Motions tabled on Tuesday 21 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

775Promoter’s Response to the First Special Report of the Holocaust Memorial Bill Select Committee

Tabled: 21/05/24 Signatories: 1

Sir Peter Bottomley

That this House notes the Promoter’s Response to the Select Committee’s First Special Report of Session 2023-24, CP 1086; regrets that the promoter has failed to understand the justified requests for a detailed comparison of the present unsatisfactory scheme with the alternatives studied by the Government’s consultants; further regrets the continuing lack of updated costings for capital and recurrent costs; disagrees with the suggestion that planning permission and all other necessary consents were obtained in the usual way; regrets there is no known plan to spend more available resources on education rather than on construction; further regrets that known and growing security restrictions are not being adequately addressed; and believes the promoter is not meeting its obligation to achieve an appropriate memorial at a justified cost in a suitable location, associated with opportunities to learn and to understand the Holocaust and to reduce the likelihood of a repeat of the atrocities of the Holocaust.

776Golden Jubilee of St Filan’s Primary School

Tabled: 21/05/24 Signatories: 1

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

That this House celebrates the golden jubilee of St Filan’s Primary School in Glasgow South; notes the significant milestone of 50 years of dedicated service to the community, providing outstanding education and fostering the development of countless young minds; acknowledges the hard work and commitment of the teachers, staff, and governors, both past and present, whose efforts have shaped the school’s success and positive impact on its pupils; recognises the support and involvement of parents, carers, and the wider community in contributing to the school’s achievements and fostering a nurturing environment for learning; commends the school's continuous adaptation and resilience in the face of educational and societal changes, ensuring that it remains a pillar of excellence in education; and wishes St Filan’s Primary School continued success and prosperity for the next 50 years and beyond, as it continues to inspire and educate future generations in Glasgow South constituency.

777Children's Hospice Week

Tabled: 21/05/24 Signatories: 1

Jim Shannon

That this House notes Children's Hospice Week 2024, celebrated from 15 to 21 May 2024 in partnership with Together for Short Lives; highlights that Children's Hospice Week is the only week in the year dedicated to raising awareness and funds for children's hospice and palliative care services across the UK, and the seriously ill children and young people they support; further notes that this years Hospice Week is Caring for the Child, Supporting the Family. and that right now, families with seriously ill children are pushed to their limits as caring for a child with serious health needs can be exhausting and often the challenges families faces are little understood; recognises the work that numerous charities do and that people can take steps to support by getting involved in campaigns; thanks all parents, relatives and carers for the work they do; and calls for support for them through this campaign.

778250th anniversary of Edengrove Presbyterian Church

Tabled: 21/05/24 Signatories: 1

Jim Shannon

That this House notes the 250th Anniversary of Edengrove Presbyterian Church in Ballynahinch in the constituency of Strangford; expresses gratitude for the role this Church plays in the local community and recognises the positive impact of the Church in teaching the words of Christ and practically demonstrating the love of God; highlights that as part of their 250th anniversary a concert took place, with music provided by Festival Brass; and sends best wishes to the Church on their celebrations and their future within the local community.

779Ministry of Defence engagement with the community of Nesscliffe in Shropshire

Tabled: 21/05/24 Signatories: 1

Daniel Kawczynski

That this House is deeply concerned by the conduct of Ministry of Defence officials and Ministers not engaging with the community of Nesscliffe in Shropshire and surrounding villages over the use of an Army camp to house a significant number of Afghan refugees; believes that the wall of silence from the Ministry of Defence towards the local councillor and parish councils is unacceptable; and urges that a senior representative of the Ministry of Defence or a Minister be appointed to engage with the community of Nesscliffe as a matter of urgency and that a public meeting is held in the village hall with Ministry of Defence officials so that local residents are afforded the opportunity to raise concerns and questions.

780Thomas Haslam and the Chief Scout’s Commendation for Meritorious Conduct

Tabled: 21/05/24 Signatories: 1

Drew Hendry

That this House congratulates Thomas Haslam, a Cub Young Leader in Inverness, on being awarded the Chief Scout’s Commendation for Meritorious Conduct in recognition of his assistance at the scene of a serious road traffic collision at age 16; recognises that Thomas performed life-preserving first aid, learned through Scouting, to a critically injured patient and continued to help when the Scottish Ambulance Service arrived; acknowledges the praise from Stuart Abel, an Advanced Practitioner in Critical Care and Team Lead for the Scottish Ambulance Service Prehospital Immediate Care & Trauma Team in Inverness, who commended Thomas’s quick thinking and intervention as part of the clinical team at the scene; and wishes Thomas every success in his future career.

781Manchester Arena terror attacks

Tabled: 21/05/24 Signatories: 1

George Galloway

That this House notes the melancholy anniversary of the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena during the Ariana Grande concert which killed twenty-two and injured many others on this day seven years ago; whilst noting the long public inquiry and its many conclusions, believes that there are many questions still unanswered, foremost amongst which are the reasons why the adherents of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group were allowed, indeed encouraged, to coalesce in the City of Manchester and kept in a semi-detached relationship by successive British governments as intelligence assets waiting to be used, as they subsequently were, to assist the overthrow of the then Libyan government; and further believes that this Frankenstein monster came back to slaughter the innocents in the Manchester Arena and no politician has been held to account for what turned out to be a disastrous policy all round.

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.

728Water sports and pollution

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 10

Jamie Stone

Jim Shannon

Christine Jardine

Sarah Dyke

Wendy Chamberlain

Rachael Maskell

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.

738Public ownership of water

Tabled: 8/05/24 Signatories: 39

Caroline Lucas

Apsana Begum

Clive Lewis

Mohammad Yasin

Rachael Maskell

Jonathan Edwards

That this House condemns the mismanagement and underinvestment which led to untreated sewage being discharged into English waterways for more than 3.6 million hours in 2023; notes that water companies in England have incurred debts of more than £64 billion and paid out £78 billion in dividends since they were privatised debt-free in 1989; further notes that water companies paid out £1.4 billion in dividends in 2022, even as 11 of them were fined in the same year for missing performance targets; recognises that climate change is making flooding and droughts more frequent and more severe, necessitating changes to the way we manage our water system in order to build resilience; believes that a Government bailout of Thames Water would send a dangerous signal to other utility companies that reckless decisions carry no private risk; urges Ofwat to reject Thames Water’s request to be allowed to increase bills and limit fines to protect its finances, which would reward mismanagement at the expense of customers and the public; further believes that private for-profit ownership is not an appropriate model for water, as an essential utility where no meaningful competition is possible; calls on the Government to put Thames Water into special administration and to transfer its assets and functions to a publicly-owned company; and further calls for all the English water companies to be brought into public ownership so that our water network can be managed for the benefit of all citizens.

743Energy transition treaty

Tabled: 13/05/24 Signatories: 10

Clive Lewis

Caroline Lucas

Olivia Blake

Hywel Williams

Claire Hanna

Colum Eastwood

That this House notes that 12 national governments, including nine Pacific Island States, are calling for countries around the world to back their proposal for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to negotiate a fast, fair and well-managed energy transition; recognises that Pacific Island States are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise from climate change, that these countries’ populations are at risk of mass displacement and other human rights violations due to the ensuing climate crisis and that the UK has a responsibility to stand with them and act fast to avert this; understands that multilateral action is vital to managing an equitable transition from fossil fuels, which was agreed by all parties at COP28, with the urgency required given the scale of the climate crisis and the escalating threats it poses to human rights; acknowledges the need to take domestic action for a fair phase-out of fossil fuels—for example legislating for a ban on new coal mines—to ensure the phase-out process begins as soon as possible so that workers in the UK and globally are supported into new sustainable industries and the UK to realise the benefits of domestically produced renewable energy as soon as possible; and recommends that the UK Government endorses the proposal for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty as a way to manage the energy transition quickly and fairly.

756Youth mobility visas

Tabled: 14/05/24 Signatories: 8

Tim Farron

Jonathan Edwards

Wendy Chamberlain

Sarah Dyke

Liz Saville Roberts

Ben Lake

That this House acknowledges the European Commission’s proposal on youth mobility visas; notes the benefits that youth mobility visas would provide for UK industries who need to supplement their local workforce; recognises that the hospitality and tourism sectors in rural and coastal areas like the Lake District, West Country, and the Scottish Highlands are especially struggling to recruit the staff they need; and urges the Government to take this opportunity to negotiate a deal which also gives British young people the opportunity of living and working abroad.

762Imperial War Museums and union derecognition

Tabled: 15/05/24 Signatories: 25

Chris Stephens

John McDonnell

Grahame Morris

Ian Lavery

Richard Burgon

Ian Byrne

That this House is alarmed by reports that Imperial War Museums plans to derecognise the Public and Commercial Services union and the First Division Association for the purposes of collective representation and bargaining; is concerned that derecognising these trade unions would undermine the collective bargaining power of staff, leaving them vulnerable to arbitrary decisions by management, with limited recourse for addressing grievances or negotiating fair terms of employment; warns that derecognising any union undermines the principles of democracy and representation in the workplace, and could have significant negative effects on equality by exacerbating wage disparities, reducing job security and access to benefits, worsening working conditions, diminishing workers’ voice and representation, limiting training and advancement opportunities, and weakening legal protections for workers; and calls on the Government to intervene to help resolve this dispute by ensuring that these unions remain recognised by Imperial War Museums.

76630th anniversary of the Maritime Volunteer Service

Tabled: 16/05/24 Signatories: 6

Kelly Tolhurst

Julian Knight

Sir Mike Penning

Jim Shannon

Chris Law

Sir Julian Lewis

That this House notes the 30th anniversary of the Maritime Volunteer Service (MVS); commends the important national role that the charity plays in ensuring that all aspect of maritime skills remain available to future generations and highlights the importance of the MVS in supporting community resilience; expresses gratitude for the tireless service of MVS volunteers, who give up their time and knowledge to serve local communities across the UK, especially in times of need or emergency; acknowledges the fundamental role that the MVS fulfils in maintaining the proud maritime traditions of the UK and calls on the Government to continue its long-standing recognition of the Maritime Volunteer Service.

767ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map

Tabled: 17/05/24 Signatories: 12

Angela Crawley

Deidre Brock

Richard Thomson

Allan Dorans

Ben Lake

Liz Saville Roberts

That this House regrets that the UK has received its lowest-ever rank on the ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map; recognises the 2024 Rainbow Map is the organisation's 13th annual review of the human rights situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people in 49 countries in Europe and Central Asia; further regrets the UK’s 51% rating, noting the decline from last year’s rating of 53.9%; acknowledges this ranking is a result of the UK Government's decision to block the Scottish Parliament's Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, delays to the banning of conversion practices and the UK Government’s treatment of LGBTI migrants, including fears that the Illegal Migration Act may be used to expel LGBTQ+ asylum seekers to their home or a third country; condemns this government’s record of failing to protect and support LGBTQ+ communities; and calls for an urgent reflection on the direction this Government is taking on human rights.

768100th anniversary of Busby Lawn Tennis Club

Tabled: 20/05/24 Signatories: 2

Kirsten Oswald

Jim Shannon

That this House congratulates Busby Lawn Tennis Club on reaching its centenary year, marking 100 years of service to the community; notes that the club, located at 5 Carmunnock Road, Busby, East Renfrewshire, was founded in 1925 and has three floodlit artificial grass courts for players to make use of; recognises that the club has teams playing in all West of Scotland leagues, namely, men, women, junior, and senior competitions; further notes the club also hosts an annual club championship with a wide range of senior and junior categories; appreciates the club hosted a centenary gala day on 21 April 2024 to mark this historic occasion; applauds the significant role that the club plays in promoting tennis and healthy living in the local community; and wishes everyone at the Busby Lawn Tennis Club all the very best for the future.

769Phoenix Flames and the Dance World Championship 2024

Tabled: 20/05/24 Signatories: 3

Kirsten Oswald

Jim Shannon

Marion Fellows

That this House congratulates Phoenix Flames, a group of cheeleaders from Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire, on their Junior Heatwave and Senior Elite teams ranking 8th and 10th respectively at the Dance World Competition; recognises the Dance World Competition was held in Florida on April 26 to 29 with hundreds of teams from 25 nations around the world competing; understands that many of Phoenix Flames’ dancers started dancing at the age of just two years old with Dance Craze Dance Academy; appreciates the positive impact that dancing can have on a participant’s physical and mental well-being; applauds all of the cheerleaders at Phoenix Flames on their phenomenal performances at the Dance World Championship; appreciates the hard work and commitment of the coaches involved in preparing the cheerleaders for the competition; and wishes everyone at Phoenix Flames all the very best of luck for future competitions.

770Love Your Local Market campaign 2024

Tabled: 20/05/24 Signatories: 3

Daisy Cooper

Jonathan Edwards

Jim Shannon

That this House congratulates St Albans Market on being awarded Best Large Outdoor Market in Britain for 2024; notes the significance of the Love Your Local Market campaign, organised by the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA), in celebrating and supporting local markets across the UK; recognises the vital role that markets play in fostering vibrant community life, supporting local economies, and providing accessible opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs; acknowledges the Markets First campaign launched by NABMA, which focuses on attracting and retaining traders, addressing economic challenges, demonstrating the wider value of markets, professionalising market management, and improving relationships with traders; celebrates the participation of over 400 markets in the Love Your Local Market campaign from 17 May to 1 June 2024; and calls on the Government to support initiatives that promote local markets, enhance community engagement, and ensure the sustainability of markets as essential components of our towns and cities.

771Hamilton Academical and the Scottish Championship

Tabled: 20/05/24 Signatories: 5

Angela Crawley

Jim Shannon

Marion Fellows

George Galloway

Anne McLaughlin

That this House congratulates Hamilton Academical Football Club following their promotion to the Scottish Championship for the 2024-25 season; recognises that the club achieved promotion via the play-offs in which they defeated Alloa Athletic 5-4 on aggregate in the semi-finals and Inverness Caledonian Thistle 5-3 on aggregate in the final after finishing second in League One; commends Kevin O'Hara for creating the first goal and scoring a brace in the final; further commends his teammates, manager John Rankin and the coaching staff for their collective efforts and determination to succeed; and wishes Accies the best of luck for the new season.

772Lanark United, West of Scotland Football League Third Division champions

Tabled: 20/05/24 Signatories: 3

Angela Crawley

Jim Shannon

Anne McLaughlin

That this House congratulates Lanark United Football Club on winning the 2023-24 West of Scotland Football League Third Division title; recognises that Lanark United, affectionately known as the Yowes, secured their championship with two games to play after defeating Greenock 8-0 at Moor Park; notes that they ended the season on 67 points, 11 clear of runners-up Lesmahagow; commends top scorer Kieran Brannan for helping his team towards the title with 14 league goals; further commends manager Daryl Meikle and all his players and staff for their collective efforts and determination to succeed; and wishes the club well for the forthcoming season.

773Royal Fleet Auxiliary pay settlement

Tabled: 20/05/24 Signatories: 9

Grahame Morris

Jonathan Edwards

Charlotte Nichols

Kim Johnson

Mick Whitley

Jim Shannon

That this House notes the imposition of a below inflation pay settlement for merchant seafarers in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) in 2023-24; expresses concern that RFA seafarers’ pay has fallen thirty-six per cent behind inflation, alongside cuts to pensions, wider employment conditions and crewing levels since 2009-10; highlights the findings of the RFA’s own private consultants that the RFA pays lower than the market average in the ferries, deep sea, cruise and workboat sectors; notes that RFA seafarers work four-month tours at sea but are not entitled to leave parity like the majority of the shipping sector, and is concerned by RFA seafarers’ work-life balance; further notes that RFA crew carry out 67% of Royal Navy (RN) tasking on top of their own work; understands that RFA seafarers are certified to Maritime and Coastguard Agency standards, which provides the RN with greater operational flexibility; believes the RFA does not have enough civilian seafarers should the RN’s operational needs require full deployment of the RFA fleet; supports the trade union rights of civilian merchant seafarers in the RFA organised by the RMT and Nautilus who have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action in a pay dispute with the RFA; and calls on the Government to intervene to assist in settling the RFA pay dispute and to tackle seafarer recruitment and retention problems in the RFA and in the RN.

774Tourism events in Northern Ireland

Tabled: 20/05/24 Signatories: 2

Mr Gregory Campbell

Jim Shannon

That this House notes the NW200 and the Balmoral Show, both of which were held in mid-May 2024 and attracted hundreds of thousands of local people, visitors and tourists from a number of countries; commends the organisers of both events, with those in attendance demonstrating the positive outlook and good humoured approach that characterises much of Northern Ireland life; and expresses the hope that road racing and agricultural shows and other successful events will receive ongoing support as they seek to build and grow in future years.