Contents

Published – Friday 20 December 2024

Early Day Motions tabled on Thursday 19 December 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

588Lavender Drive Christmas lights

Tabled: 19/12/24 Signatories: 1

Blair McDougall

That this House commends the residents of Lavender Drive in Newton Mearns for their annual Christmas lights display, in memory of much loved, husband dad, and valued community member Fred Banning; recognises the work Fred Banning carried out during the pandemic in campaigning for the Scottish and UK Governments to consider prioritising those receiving palliative care for the Covid-19 vaccine, so that the terminally ill could make the most of their final days months; notes that Fred Banning received cross-party support on his campaign, and the backing of numerous charities; thanks the residents of Lavender Drive for the money raised each year for Cancer charities such as the Beatson Cancer Charity and Cancer Research UK; and further notes that the money raised for these charities is allowing them to carry out vital work caring for those with cancer and also fighting for a cure.

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.

524Review into breast cancer screening

Tabled: 9/12/24 Signatories: 45

Wera Hobhouse

Caroline Voaden

Helen Morgan

Liz Jarvis

Helen Maguire

Edward Morello

That this House recognises the worrying rise in breast cancer cases in younger women; notes with concern that breast cancer accounts for 43% of all cancers diagnosed in women aged 25-49, yet women wait until they are 50 or older to begin routine screening; urges everyone to work together to dispel the misconception that breast cancer only affects older women; commends the medical professionals who provide top class care to patients once diagnosed; and calls on the Government to review the current arrangements for breast cancer screening, including the merits of reducing the minimum age at which women are invited for regular breast cancer screening.

525Institutes of Technology

Tabled: 9/12/24 Signatories: 16

Will Stone

Jim Shannon

Wera Hobhouse

Mary Kelly Foy

Mr Paul Foster

Tristan Osborne

That this House commends and celebrates the 21 Institutes of Technologies across the UK for their outstanding contribution to delivering high-quality, advanced technical education and training in a wide array of STEM fields; and notes that they play a vital role in addressing industry skills gaps by responding to the specific needs of local businesses, creating excellent opportunities for both young people and mature learners to access exceptional training and career pathways.

527Anniversary of the murder of Kenneth Smyth and Daniel McCormick

Tabled: 10/12/24 Signatories: 5

Jim Shannon

Carla Lockhart

Bob Blackman

Robin Swann

Jim Allister

That this House notes the anniversary of the murder of Kenneth Smyth and his colleague Daniel McCormick on 10 December 1971 as they travelled to work; notes that Kenneth was off duty and that Daniel had left the UDR and they were slaughtered as they headed to work together; further notes that no one has ever been brought to justice for this evil terrorist murder that saw these men brutally slain for no other reason than serving Queen and Country in the UDR and that the families still mourn their loss; and urges Government to consider cases like Kenneth’s, when reforming legacy legislation to ensure criminals, like the perpetrators of this atrocity, are brought to justice.

555Flood recovery framework

Tabled: 12/12/24 Signatories: 29

Claire Young

Adam Dance

Helen Maguire

Helen Morgan

Dr Roz Savage

Ellie Chowns

That this House notes the work of the emergency services and first responders in the wake of Storms Bert and Darragh; acknowledges that resources for emergency services remain under immense pressure; further acknowledges that future incidents of poor weather and flooding will become more common due to the impacts of climate change; calls on the Government to set out a clear framework for support for communities in the wake of such incidents; and praises the work of local authorities in helping those affected to rebuild.

557Knowsley Livv Housing industrial dispute

Tabled: 12/12/24 Signatories: 23

Ian Byrne

Kim Johnson

Steve Witherden

John McDonnell

Richard Burgon

Brian Leishman

That this House notes with concern the ongoing industrial dispute at Livv Housing Group; further notes that this dispute follows Livv Housing workers facing years of real terms pay cuts; notes the unprecedented cost-of-living crisis faced by Livv Housing workers, including soaring prices of essentials like food and energy; expresses concern that the failure to reach an agreement in the dispute is impacting services for the 13,000 properties managed and maintained by Livv Housing across Liverpool City Region and the North West; expresses further concern about allegations that Livv Housing has engaged in tactics that undermine collective bargaining and trade unions; recognises that the trade unions representing Livv Housing workers, Unite and Unison, are eager to reach a resolution to the dispute; notes that Livv Housing recorded significant surpluses in recent years and reportedly had reserves of £110 million as of March 2024; and therefore calls on Livv Housing to enter into meaningful negotiations with trade unions to resolve the dispute and give workers a fair deal.

564Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell

Tabled: 16/12/24 Signatories: 23

Steve Darling

Alison Bennett

Helen Maguire

Mr Joshua Reynolds

Adam Dance

Wera Hobhouse

That this House congratulates comedian Chris McCausland for his outstanding victory as the first blind contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, alongside his dance partner Dianne Buswell; commends McCausland for his determination and warmth, which endeared him to millions of viewers, with more than 8 million watching the final; acknowledges that McCausland, who lost his sight due to retinitis pigmentosa, overcame significant challenges throughout the competition; celebrates his inspiring victory speech, in which he dedicated his win to his professional partner and to all those who had been told they could not achieve their dreams, where he also identified the three key elements for his success as opportunity, support and determination; recognises the positive impact his victory will have for people with disabilities, with charities such as the Royal National Institute of Blind People and Guide Dogs UK praising his achievement as a landmark moment for diversity and inclusion; further acknowledges the vital conversations sparked by McCausland’s success, particularly around dispelling myths about disabilities; calls for continued support for initiatives that promote greater inclusion of people with disabilities; and echoes the Changing Attitudes, Changing Lives report in calling for the Government to implement a Disability Employment Strategy that will improve employer attitudes and increase the number of blind and partially sighted people in work.

568Renewal of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme

Tabled: 16/12/24 Signatories: 15

Adam Dance

Steve Darling

Wera Hobhouse

Dr Roz Savage

Jim Shannon

Ian Roome

That this House notes with concern that the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme is due to expire in March 2025; notes that the scheme enables congregations of all faiths to recover the Value Added Tax costs of vital repairs to their listed buildings, making it the most universal and accessible source of relief; also notes that almost half of all Grade I listed buildings in England are historic churches; acknowledges that for 23 years the grant scheme, run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, has provided a vital lifeline to congregations throughout the UK as they struggle to raise sufficient funds to repair their historic places of worship; recognises the success of the scheme in maintaining places of value to local communities and the nation’s heritage for future generations, such as St Mary Magdalene Church in Barwick, East Corker Village Church, and Holy Trinity Church in Yeovil; also recognises the scheme has received cross-party support across successive governments; and calls on the current Government to ensure the renewal of the scheme as a matter of urgency.

569Sage House Dementia Hub

Tabled: 16/12/24 Signatories: 18

Jess Brown-Fuller

Alison Bennett

Helen Morgan

Dr Al Pinkerton

Helen Maguire

Steve Darling

That this House recognises with gratitude the outstanding dedication and service provided by Sage House Dementia Hub in Tangmere; commends its bespoke, modern, and functional approach as a community hub that brings together local dementia support services under one roof; notes with concern the latest statistics showing that one in three people will, at some point in their lifetime, care for someone with dementia, with 944,000 people currently living with dementia in the UK, a figure projected to rise to over 1.6 million by 2040; further notes that the Sage House model has demonstrated its capacity to cut the cost of dementia care by 38%, improve quality of life for those living with dementia and their families, and has the potential to save the NHS £1.5 billion annually if rolled out nationally; celebrates its success in West Sussex and its potential as a blueprint for community-based dementia care across the UK; and urges the Government to support the wider adoption of this innovative model to ensure better outcomes for individuals living with dementia and their carers while delivering significant cost savings to the NHS.

571Prison maintenance insourcing

Tabled: 16/12/24 Signatories: 30

Kim Johnson

Cat Smith

Mohammad Yasin

Mary Glindon

Liz Saville Roberts

Siân Berry

That this House notes with alarm the rising levels of squalor and disrepair in prisons, with the National Audit Office estimating the maintenance backlog has doubled to £1.8 billion in the past four years; further notes with alarm recent reports by the Independent Monitoring Boards highlighting how broken and outdated windows make it easy for drones to deliver drugs and weapons, while prisoners are bitten by rats and venomous false widow spiders, yet there is little accountability when maintenance providers’ performance falls short; believes that the privatisation of prison maintenance a decade ago is at the heart of this shameful situation, with profit-hungry contractors and a corporate-style GovCo formed after the collapse of Carillion driving a dangerous race to the bottom in living and working conditions across the prison estate; welcomes the recent agreement by ministers that all options need to be looked at in order to ensure the best possible value for money for the public purse, but recognises that outsourcing of prison maintenance has proved to be a false economy, with the taxpayer picking up the tab for contractors’ costly failures; and calls on the Government to cancel plans for retendering these contracts and to bring all prison maintenance back in-house at the earliest opportunity, in keeping with its pre-election pledge to oversee the biggest wave of insourcing for a generation.

575International Human Rights Day

Tabled: 17/12/24 Signatories: 9

Fabian Hamilton

Jim Shannon

Jon Trickett

Luke Taylor

Ayoub Khan

Shockat Adam

That this House recognises the importance of the international human rights framework which underpins the international rules-based order; notes that to mark this year’s International Human Rights Day, the UN has highlighted the critical role of human rights as a preventative, protective and transformative force for good; celebrates the human rights achievements of UK Parliamentarians working with inspiring civil society organisations and activists, including securing the release of wrongfully imprisoned individuals, such as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori; further recognises the Government’s commitment to building support for victims of gender-based violence in conflict and of modern-day slavery; further notes that UK Parliamentarians have a key role in taking this impressive legacy forward to further justice and democracy, and to support human rights defenders; and also recognises the Government’s commitment to international law and human rights internationally.

577Democratic violations and violence in Georgia

Tabled: 17/12/24 Signatories: 16

James MacCleary

Adam Dance

Wera Hobhouse

Helen Maguire

Richard Foord

Jim Shannon

That this House condemns the escalating violence and democratic backsliding in Georgia, including the disproportionate use of force by Georgian authorities against peaceful protesters, journalists, and opposition figures; expresses concern at the arbitrary detentions of civilians, suppression of peaceful assembly, and anti-democratic actions; notes with concern the Georgian Government’s disregard for constitutional and legal norms; further condemns potential foreign interference in Georgia’s democratic institutions; calls on the Government to demonstrate solidarity with the Georgian people by pressing for the protection of democratic and political rights, and working with international partners, including the EU, to investigate the irregularities of the latest elections; and further calls on the Government to follow the actions of the United States and formally suspend the United Kingdom’s strategic partnership with Georgia.

578Sexual violence in Sudan

Tabled: 17/12/24 Signatories: 10

Shockat Adam

Jim Shannon

Ayoub Khan

Andrew George

Mr Adnan Hussain

Neil Duncan-Jordan

That this House expresses its grave concern over the ongoing use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in Sudan, where women are subjected to systematic rape and sexual abuse by armed groups; condemns the growing reports of women resorting to suicide in an effort to escape the horrific prospect of rape; notes that these atrocities are not only a breach of human rights but also violate international law, including the Geneva Conventions; urges the UK Government to take immediate steps to support international efforts to end impunity for those responsible for sexual violence in conflict; calls for urgent humanitarian aid and psychological support for the survivors of such violence; and further calls on the Government to press for stronger international sanctions against those perpetrating and enabling these crimes, and to advocate for the inclusion of sexual violence in conflict as a priority in peace negotiations.

582Violence against women in Northern Ireland

Tabled: 17/12/24 Signatories: 10

Carla Lockhart

Claire Hanna

Sorcha Eastwood

Mr Gregory Campbell

Colum Eastwood

Jim Shannon

That this House expresses its deep concern at the scale of violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland; notes with sadness that seven women have lost their lives this year alone, contributing to a total of 25 women murdered since 2020, with many of these killings occurring within their own homes; acknowledges the tragic loss of Karen Cummings in Banbridge, which has caused shock and grief within the local community, as well as the second anniversary of Natalie McNally’s murder in Lurgan, both of which serve as a painful reminder of the urgent need for action; recognises the devastating impact such violence has on families and communities; calls on the Government to work closely with devolved institutions to develop and deliver a joined-up UK-wide strategy to tackle violence against women and girls; urges action to address root causes, improve conviction rates, implement tougher sentencing for perpetrators, and provide greater support for victims; and commits to working towards a society where all women and girls can live free from fear and violence.

584Government response to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report on communication of changes to women’s State Pension age

Tabled: 18/12/24 Signatories: 30

Steve Darling

Wendy Chamberlain

Clive Jones

Tom Morrison

Cameron Thomas

Dr Al Pinkerton

That this House condemns the Government’s refusal to provide any compensation to women affected by changes to the State Pension age, turning its back on millions of pension-age women who were harmed through no fault of their own; regrets Ministers’ decision to effectively ignore the recommendations of the independent Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman; recognises the damage done to our economy by the previous Conservative Government, but believes that Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) women should not have to pay the price of Conservative mismanagement; notes that the Liberal Democrats have campaigned for years for fair compensation of WASPI women in line with the Ombudsman’s recommendations; and calls on the Government to rethink this heartless decision and give those affected the fair treatment they deserve.

585Reform of electoral law

Tabled: 18/12/24 Signatories: 13

Sorcha Eastwood

Jon Trickett

Sarah Olney

Ben Lake

Neil Duncan-Jordan

Wendy Chamberlain

That this House notes with serious concern recent reports of high-profile individuals and international entities exploring avenues to influence UK political parties and elections, raising questions about the robustness of current electoral laws in preventing foreign interference; recognises the essential role of transparent and accountable political financing in preserving public trust in democracy and ensuring that elections remain free from undue external influence; believes that current electoral laws are outdated and inadequate in addressing the threats posed by modern financial and digital technologies, including cryptocurrency, which can facilitate anonymous or foreign donations; highlights the particular, imminent risks posed by wealthy international figures, who, while engaging in lawful activities, may inadvertently or deliberately influence domestic politics contrary to the principle of self-determination; urges the Government to urgently bring forward legislative reforms to strengthen electoral law, including the introduction of a cap on political donations, stricter limitations on overseas donations, mandatory transparency in the origin of political funds, and robust enforcement mechanisms; calls on the Government to work with the Electoral Commission and other relevant bodies to adapt regulatory frameworks to address emerging challenges to democratic integrity in the digital age; and affirms the UK's commitment to safeguarding democracy by ensuring that elections are free, fair, and reflective of the will of the people without interference from foreign entities.

587Healthy lunches

Tabled: 18/12/24 Signatories: 8

Sarah Dyke

Ellie Chowns

Wendy Chamberlain

Helen Morgan

Dr Roz Savage

Sarah Gibson

That this House recognises the importance of eating a healthy and nutritious lunch; further recognises that poor diet is now the biggest risk for preventable disease, placing a huge strain on the NHS; notes that the number of food-secure households decreased by 2% according to the UK Food Security Report 2024; recognises the important role British farmers play in putting nutritious food on our plate, but is aware of the financial pressure food producers in the UK are currently facing; is worried further notes that 61% of farmers are concerned they will have to give up their farms within the next 18 months; and calls on the Government to ensure fairness in the food supply chain by strengthening the Groceries Code Adjudicator to protect consumers from unfair price rises and to support food producers.