Published – Thursday 5 December 2024

New EDMs

1St Leonard’s Catholic School

Tabled: 4/12/24 Signatories: 1

Mary Kelly Foy

That this House sends its congratulations to St Leonard’s Catholic School in City of Durham for achieving an outstanding Ofsted report; remembers the appalling situation that befell pupils and teachers at the school in August 2023 following the discovery of RAAC; expresses admiration for the resilience of parents, pupils and teachers for overcoming the fallout of RAAC; believes that the RAAC crisis could have been averted had the Building Schools for the Future programme not been scrapped in 2010; consequently condemns the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition Government for ending the programme in 2010; further condemns the previous Conservative Government for their lethargic response to the RAAC crisis in City of Durham; notes the support that St Leonard’s received throughout County Durham, reflected in a parliamentary petition early this year; and applauds pupils for defying expectations in their examinations this year, and for the determination of the entire school community.

2Wales National Women's Football Team

Tabled: 4/12/24 Signatories: 4

Llinos Medi

Liz Saville Roberts

Ann Davies

Ben Lake

That this House commends the Wales National Women's Football Team for qualifying for a major women’s tournament for the first time; notes that Angharad James captained Wales to a 2-1 win over the Republic of Ireland thanks to goals from Hannah Cain and Carrie Jones; further notes that the Welsh side were victorious in Dublin as part of the second leg of the UEFA Women’s EURO play-off final, and now advance to next summer’s finals in Switzerland; congratulates head coach Rhian Wilkinson and the whole team on a well-deserved victory and for opening new doors for women and Welsh football; highlights the team’s hard work in inspiring young girls to dream big and believe in themselves; thanks trailblazers like Gail Paterson-Manning from Ynys Môn, whose early work in women’s football helped paved the way for the current team’s success; and wishes the Dragons the very best for the tournament ahead.

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.

434King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2024 for the Buchan Battalion Boys’ Brigade

Tabled: 20/11/24 Signatories: 4

Seamus Logan

Graham Leadbitter

Chris Law

Dave Doogan

That this House congratulates the Buchan Battalion Boys’ Brigade for their King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2024; notes that this prestigious Royal Award is the equivalent of an MBE as the highest award given to voluntary groups across the UK; celebrates the outstanding contribution to the community made by the Buchan Battalion Boys Brigade in a voluntary capacity, giving their time, effort and enthusiasm and delivering to the highest of standards in the local area; and wishes them the very best in their future endeavours under the capable guidance of their President, Marc Thomson.

436Bus fare cap

Tabled: 20/11/24 Signatories: 35

Mr Paul Kohler

Tim Farron

Anna Sabine

Wera Hobhouse

Olly Glover

Helen Morgan

Sarah GibsonCharlotte Cane

That this House notes the £2 bus fare cap helps millions of bus users with the cost of living and encourages higher ridership; further notes the upcoming fare cap hike will significantly increase costs for bus users and make bus travel less accessible, especially in rural areas; regrets the steep decline in access to buses under the last Government with more than 1 billion fewer passenger journeys in 2023 than 2015; further regrets the 59% increase in fare prices between 2015 and 2023; notes that nearly a third of bus journeys are made by elderly, disabled and young people and that these groups will be particularly disadvantaged by the fare hike; notes that inadequate access to buses exacerbates regional and other inequalities; recognises the importance of access to convenient, frequent and affordable buses for employment and quality of life, particularly in rural areas; calls on the Government to urgently provide promised new powers to franchise buses to all local authorities and provide the resources to switch to zero-emission vehicles and expand bus services, including on demand provision; and further calls on the Government to reverse the increase in the fare cap so that buses remain affordable for communities across the country.

437Emergency care

Tabled: 20/11/24 Signatories: 34

Helen Morgan

Jess Brown-Fuller

Alison Bennett

Dr Danny Chambers

Sarah Olney

Wera Hobhouse

Sarah GibsonCharlotte Cane

That this House notes with dismay that emergency departments across England are in a state of crisis after years of neglect and failure by the last Conservative government; commends the hard work of all emergency service workers that despite extremely tough working conditions save thousands of lives every day; notes with concern the appalling deterioration of emergency care and surging waiting times in all parts of the health service as well as reports of patients dying in A&E waiting rooms; further notes that many patients are not monitored by a clinician while waiting to be seen at A&E; regrets the recent decision to hike national insurance contributions for GPs and care providers, placing further strain on overwhelmed emergency departments; calls on the government to ensure that a fully qualified clinician is present in every A&E waiting room to monitor the condition of waiting patients; and further calls on the government to cut ambulance response times, increase the number of beds in A&E departments, end delayed discharge from hospital, and commit to cross-party talks on social care.

445Carers Rights Day

Tabled: 21/11/24 Signatories: 38

Helen Morgan

Alison Bennett

Ed Davey

Jess Brown-Fuller

Dr Danny Chambers

Steve Darling

Sarah GibsonCharlotte Cane

That this House celebrates Carers Rights Day; recognises the hard and vital work unpaid carers do caring for their loved ones; notes that carers across the country support the wellbeing of millions of the most vulnerable in our society and contribute £184bn to the UK economy; further notes that health and care services and the NHS cannot function properly without the contribution of family and unpaid carers; regrets that hundreds of thousands of carers live in poverty, and suffer from social isolation; further regrets that two in five young carers are persistently absent from school; reaffirms the importance of existing rights for carers, such as unpaid carer’s leave; applauds the work of voluntary and charitable organisations like Carers UK, who have improved the lives of countless carers; and calls on the Government to mark this Carers Rights Day with action, including by making unpaid carer’s leave paid, introducing a generous entitlement to respite care, reforming Carer’s Allowance, establishing a Young Carers Pupil Premium, and ending the persecution of carers for overpayments of carers allowance.

454Reducing the age for bowel cancer screening offered on the NHS

Tabled: 25/11/24 Signatories: 18

Mr Joshua Reynolds

Jim Shannon

Wera Hobhouse

Christine Jardine

Ian Roome

Steve Darling

Clive Jones [R] Tom Morrison

That this House recognises the hard work of Stephen Rippington, who whilst battling against bowel cancer, was active in raising awareness for the disease both within his local area and online, and his wife Jessica who has raised over £10,000 for bowel cancer research; notes that 1 in 4 diagnoses occur among people aged under 50; and, following Stephen's passing earlier this year, calls for the age eligibility of screening tests for bowel cancer offered by the NHS to be reviewed.

455Closure of Rathbones Bakery, Wakefield

Tabled: 25/11/24 Signatories: 18

Jon Trickett

Kim Johnson

Jim Shannon

Ian Lavery

Jeremy Corbyn

Richard Burgon

Mrs Lorraine Beavers

That this House is disturbed by news that Rathbones bakery site in Wakefield looks set to close following a decision by the owners, supermarket chain Morrisons, to cease production; deeply regrets the consequence of this decision on the jobs of 400 loyal staff from across the Wakefield District, with further impacts on the supply chain and on agency workers; notes that Morrisons was taken over by private equity firm Clayton Dubilier and Rice in 2021 and fears that the new owners are asset-stripping the firm and prioritising short-term yields over the long term interests of the business; further notes the company has indicated it could look at keeping open the production of morning goods, but only by operating a de facto policy of fire-and-rehire with the remaining workers kept on with inferior pay, terms and conditions; supports the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union in insisting that workers should not pay the price for the destructive business model adopted by private equity concerns; and calls on government both to provide all necessary support to the workers involved and to undertake an urgent investigation into the impact of private equity takeovers and acquisitions on the UK groceries market.

457National Insurance contributions rise exemption for childcare providers

Tabled: 25/11/24 Signatories: 28

Munira Wilson

Jim Shannon

Wera Hobhouse

Christine Jardine

Tom Gordon

Ian Sollom

Clive Jones

That this House notes that the increase to the rate of employers' National Insurance contributions announced in the Autumn Budget will lead to higher childcare fees for families, along with probable closures of early years and childcare settings; further notes that early years and childcare provision has faced years of underfunding under the previous Government, leading to families facing very high fees and a lack of available places; and calls on the Government to reconsider these National Insurance proposals so that early years and childcare providers are exempted from the National Insurance tax increase.

460Variety Disability Sports Awards

Tabled: 26/11/24 Signatories: 16

Max Wilkinson

Wendy Chamberlain

Steve Darling

Helen Maguire

Chris Law

Adam Dance

Clive Jones

That this House celebrates the Variety Disability Sports Awards 2024, which took place on 25 November 2024; congratulates each of the award winners and nominees for their achievements, whether that be as an athlete, coach or innovator; notes the importance of equal access to sport and physical activity for all; praises the work done by Variety to support young disabled people in accessing sport; offers thanks to everyone involved, including @sohoplace Theatre, Adam Hills, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, and Channel 4; and celebrates the work of Variety, the Children’s Charity, in its 75th year.

467Fuel Poverty Awareness Day

Tabled: 26/11/24 Signatories: 29

Pippa Heylings

Ellie Chowns

Ian Roome

Edward Morello

Wera Hobhouse

Angus MacDonald

Clive Jones

That this House notes that Wednesday 27 November marks Fuel Poverty Awareness Day; remarks with grave concern that this winter will leave thousands of people cold and hungry; further notes that homelessness in the UK is at a record high and an estimated six million households are in fuel poverty; recognises UK housing stock is the oldest in Europe and among the least energy efficient; regrets the growing number of vulnerable people who are living in poorly insulated homes and struggling to choose between heating and eating; further regrets that food banks and local services are overwhelmed; also regrets that the former Conservative government failed to commit to an ambitious programme to support renewable energy or decent homes standards to bring down energy bills, reduce emissions and improve public health; also regrets the Government’s decision to cut Winter Fuel Payments during the cost of living crisis; notes with concern Ofgem’s decision to increase the fuel poverty cap by 1.2% in January 2025; observes that new decent homes standards have been further delayed; regrets that the Government’s Warm Homes Plan is not due until next year; and calls on the Government to urgently implement a ten-year emergency home insulation programme and to reduce energy bills and protect vulnerable households this winter.

471Potential closure of post offices

Tabled: 27/11/24 Signatories: 26

Daisy Cooper

Steve Darling

Anna Sabine

Ian Roome

Wendy Chamberlain

Helen Maguire

Clive Jones

That this House recognises the importance of Post Office branches across the UK; believes that they form a vital part of our local communities and highstreets with millions of people depending on them; recognises the importance of Post Offices as community hubs, providing access to communication, banking and other vital services; notes the particular need for such services for people with restricted access, such as older or more rural populations with little connectivity; is deeply concerned about the news that 115 branches of the Post Office may be closed and around 1,000 jobs could be at risk; and calls on the Government to take action to set the Post Office on a sustainable footing for the long term and to ensure that none of the 115 post offices close until a consultation with each local community has been undertaken.

474Assistance and access for disabled people at railway stations

Tabled: 27/11/24 Signatories: 25

Adam Dance

Ian Roome

Steve Darling

Helen Maguire

Mr Paul Kohler

Edward Morello

Clive JonesIan SollomCharlotte Cane

That this House is gravely concerned by the challenges disabled people face in getting support at railway stations, particularly in rural constituencies such as Yeovil; expresses alarm at the absence of available assistance staff in stations such as Yeovil Pen Mill; notes with concern that only one in four train stations have step free access, that only 2% have level boarding, that at 67% of stations the platforms are too narrow for wheelchairs to turn, and that around 40% of rail stations have no tactile paving which is a vital safety feature for blind and visually impaired people; strongly believes that these people should have the same access to railway stations as able-bodied passengers and should not be at risk of accidents; acknowledges that many find the booking systems for requesting support staff difficult to access and use; also notes that inaccessible stations and a lack of support staff also pose challenges for parents with buggies and the elderly; and calls on the government to improve accessibility and support for disabled people on our railways, such as by improving the Access for All programme to deliver more projects, more rapidly, and by holding operators like Great Western Railway to account.

484Treating retail workers with kindness during the festive trading period

Tabled: 29/11/24 Signatories: 19

Chris Kane

Graeme Downie

Kenneth Stevenson

Martin Rhodes

Katrina Murray

Brian Leishman

Andrew GeorgeEuan Stainbank

That this House welcomes the press and social media campaign from the Scottish Retail Consortium and Usdaw which is urging Scots to be kind, considerate and respectful to retail workers and fellow customers when shopping this Christmas; notes that the festive period can be an especially complex and challenging time for retail businesses with colleagues working hard to keep shelves stocked and products delivered; understands that abuse towards those working in customer service has climbed with figures from Usdaw showing over two thirds of retail staff have experienced verbal abuse in the past twelve months; affirms that any mistreatment of colleagues in stores is wholly unacceptable and should not be tolerated; and commends this responsible and positive initiative from employers and trade unions for a little Christmas kindness and courtesy from Scots so that we can all enjoy shopping over the festive period and in turn support local jobs and the vibrancy of our town and city centre destinations.

486Bath Young Carers

Tabled: 2/12/24 Signatories: 19

Wera Hobhouse

Adam Dance

Jess Brown-Fuller

Ian Roome

Jim Shannon

Helen Maguire

Helen MorganMr Joshua ReynoldsAndrew George

That this House congratulates Bath Philharmonia Young Carers' Choir on the release of their single Love is Enough; wishes them luck in the race for this year’s Christmas number one; recognises the talent and hard work of the six current and former young carers who wrote the single; highlights the challenges young carers face, in particular, disruptions to their education and social isolation; and calls on the Government to ensure that all young carers receive the support and services they need.

489Colin S Macleod's 1000-mile swim

Tabled: 2/12/24 Signatories: 4

Torcuil Crichton

Jim Shannon

Mary Kelly Foy

Graeme Downie

That this House congratulates Mr Colin S Macleod, long distance swimmer and charity fundraiser, on completing his 1000-mile, Land's End to Shetland swimming challenge by repeatedly and relentlessly traversing the mile-length of the Braighe isthmus on the Isle of Lewis on the Minch and Broadway sides in all weathers during 2024; acknowledges the success of Jane Maciver, Paul Finnegan, Donald Smith, Cinzia Zingone, David Evans, Malcolm Dalzel-Job and Colin S MacLeod in completing their contributions to the virtual Land's End to John O'Groats to Shetland 1000-mile challenge; and notes their joint fundraising achievements to mark the 200th anniversary of the RNLI.

495Strengthening UK relations with the Kurdistan Region in Iraq

Tabled: 3/12/24 Signatories: 2

John Slinger

Andrew George

That this House supports the Government’s recent agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq on migration, trafficking, and drug smuggling; further supports ever deeper diplomatic efforts by the UK and its allies to strengthen relations with Iraqi Kurdistan across diplomatic, military, educational, cultural, and business spheres; suggests that every effort be made by the UK and our allies to strengthen relations between Erbil and Baghdad for their mutual benefit and on the basis of the federal constitution agreed by the Iraqi people in the 2005 referendum; notes that such efforts, as elsewhere in the world, can foster greater prosperity and political stability through reform, including to tackle corruption and sustainably diversify the economy; and further notes that this can also reduce the push factors for migration to the UK.

496Kevin Sinfield fundraising for Motor Neurone Disease research

Tabled: 3/12/24 Signatories: 3

Mr Gregory Campbell

Andrew George

Shockat Adam

That this House notes the seven ultramarathons in seven days across the UK in December 2024 by rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield CBE, who has continued his incredible fund raising efforts for research into combating Motor Neurone Disease (MND), so far raising over £16 million to help those affected by one of the most debilitating and heart-breaking conditions; recognises BBC Breakfast has consistently helped to highlight the amazing efforts Kevin Sinfield has put in since his friend the late Rob Burrows CBE was diagnosed in 2019; and expresses the hope that a cure for MND will be brought much closer due in no small measure to these outstanding endeavours.

497Bowel Cancer UK report into NHS services

Tabled: 3/12/24 Signatories: 15

Clive Jones [R]

Helen Maguire

Steve Darling

Ian Roome

Helen Morgan

Adam Dance

Wendy ChamberlainBen MaguireIan SollomJess Brown-FullerMr Joshua ReynoldsMary Kelly FoyAndrew GeorgeShockat AdamOlly Glover

That this House recognises bowel cancer as the second biggest cancer killer, with over 13,500 people tragically dying from bowel cancer each year in England alone; acknowledges the findings from Bowel Cancer UK’s report entitled Delivering the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan: A review of progress of bowel cancer in England that whilst progress for bowel cancer services has been made, progress has still not been good enough; is concerned that progress on early diagnosis of bowel cancer has stagnated and that patients are experiencing longer waiting times than almost all other cancer; further recognises that nine in ten people survive bowel cancer if diagnosed at the earliest stage, compared to just one in ten at the latest stage; and calls on the Government, via their new national cancer plan, to deliver the optimisation of the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and to create much needed extra capacity in endoscopy and pathology services to encourage early diagnosis.

498University of St Andrews cost of living and sustainability initiatives

Tabled: 3/12/24 Signatories: 2

Wendy Chamberlain

Adam Dance

That this House notes the achievement of the University of St Andrews working in partnership with bus operators Stagecoach East Scotland and Moffat & Williamson to deliver a 75% travel discount for students and staff as a cost of living support measure over the last two years; recognises that this discount has contributed to a saving of £1.7million for students and staff and made a significant impact on household budgets during this time; further recognises that this unique initiative has resulted in an estimated carbon saving of 1,325 tonnes over the last 24 months, the equivalent of a 34% drop in carbon emissions in that time; and celebrates efforts made by the University to support increased use of public transport, reduce car use and cut congestion in St Andrews through the promotion of sustainable alternatives.

499Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures

Tabled: 3/12/24 Signatories: 2

Andrew George

Shockat Adam

That this House welcomes Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis on his visit to the UK today; notes that the British Museum still holds about half of the Parthenon Sculptures, controversially removed from Athens by Lord Elgin between 1801 and 1812, during the Ottoman occupation of Greece, then purchased from him by the Government following a decision by this Parliament in 1816, and that they remain on display in the British Museum to which they were transferred by Act of Parliament in the same year; considers it is no longer appropriate for these sculptures to be held and displayed in the UK and notes that the sculptures have not always been well protected and have indeed been damaged whilst in the possession of the museum; further notes that the remaining Parthenon Sculptures have been well displayed since 2009 in the purpose built Acropolis Museum in the shadow of the Parthenon; notes that Prime Minister Mitsotakis has compared the UK’s possession of the Parthenon sculptures as like cutting the Mona Lisa in half; and calls on the Government to work with the trustees of the British Museum, to agree a gracious act to reunite the Parthenon Sculptures with those in Athens and to finally put right this enduring wrong.

500British Council International School Award for Wallace Fields Junior School in Epsom

Tabled: 3/12/24 Signatories: 4

Helen Maguire

Clive Jones

Adam Dance

Ben Maguire

That this House congratulates Wallace Fields Junior School, Epsom, on achieving accreditation with the British Council International School Award; notes that this prestigious award recognises and celebrates schools that demonstrate a strong commitment to integrating international dimensions into their curricula and activities, engages students, staff, and the local community in understanding and celebrating international diversity; and wishes them the very best in their future endeavours educating children on key life skills.

501Certificate of Common Sponsorship

Tabled: 3/12/24 Signatories: 4

Neil Duncan-Jordan

Mary Kelly Foy

Andrew George

Carla Denyer

That this House believes that migrant health and care workers on Tier 2 visas play an essential role in the delivery of UK health and care services; recognises that current rules tie these workers to a single employer, and that if a worker loses their job they may face financial hardship, debt, lost investment and the possibility that their partner will also lose the right to work; further believes that the dependency on a single employer creates a significant power imbalance; notes that it also contributes to potentially exploitative and unsafe working conditions, with workers reluctant to report concerns for fear of retaliation or deportation; further notes that employers may exploit these fears by making unfair demands, and that many migrant workers report feeling trapped in bonded servitude with constant job insecurity; acknowledges the negative impact that this situation can have on mental health and wellbeing; agrees that migrant workers deserve the freedom to change employers within the sector; supports UNISON’s campaign for a Certificate of Common Sponsorship for health and care workers on Tier 2 visas as a way of breaking the exclusive link between a single employer and a worker’s visa status; and calls on the Government to begin the process of introducing such as scheme as part of the overall drive to reform and improve the social care sector.

502Merry Christmas Harrogate single

Tabled: 3/12/24 Signatories: 2

Tom Gordon

Adam Dance

That this House congratulates the Straymen, Simon Cotton, Joe Pearce and all other individuals and organisations involved on the release of the single Merry Christmas Harrogate; highlights the dedication of all those involved to improving and advertising the town of Harrogate and all that it offers; and wishes them luck in the Christmas charts.