Contents

Published: Friday 25 September 2020

Early Day Motions tabled on Thursday 24 September 2020

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

923A covid-19 recovery mental health strategy for children

Tabled: 24/09/20 Signatories: 1

Dr Lisa Cameron

That this House notes that a survey by the mental health charity Re-Think found that one third of children feel more anxious, sad and stressed now than before lockdown; further notes that the charity Action for Children has asked the Government to prioritise children’s mental health in covid-19 recovery planning with sufficient funding; notes that at their press conference of 21 September 2020, Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Officer Sir Patrick Vallance predicted that mental health would be further jeopardised if the virus goes out of control; and calls upon the Government to publish a distinctive Mental Health Strategy for Children and Young People, focusing on the covid-19 pandemic with an accompanying commitment that the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people will be placed at the heart of the overall Covid-19 Recovery Plan.

924County lines and child criminal exploitation

Tabled: 24/09/20 Signatories: 2

Grahame Morris

Ian Mearns

That this House is alarmed at the expansion of county lines networks, recently exacerbated by covid-19; calls for clarification of laws to ensure that all young people who are groomed, coerced and controlled into committing crime are recognised as victims of trafficking and exploitation; advocates the adoption of a new public health approach to drug prevention that works with schools, pupil referral units and providers for those outside of mainstream education; notes the need for new local safeguarding partnerships enabling multi-agency work to identify and respond to child criminal exploitation; further notes that a system is required for seamlessly sharing data across borders and agencies and disrupting grooming and criminality that has migrated from the streets to encrypted apps; and calls upon the Government to introduce a stand-alone national strategy on child criminal exploitation that includes these recommendations as a matter of urgency.

925Mandatory reporting on plastic packaging

Tabled: 24/09/20 Signatories: 1

Geraint Davies

That this House notes that UK supermarkets use some 114 billion pieces of throwaway plastic packaging each year; recognises that this equates to 653,000 tonnes of plastic waste, the equivalent of almost 3,000 747 jumbo jets; further recognises that almost all of this waste will end up polluting the natural environment; is concerned that many leading supermarkets in the UK fail to provide detailed data on the amount of plastic they use; believes that transparent reporting on plastic use is critical to reducing plastic waste; notes that existing pacts and pledges have failed to have a significant impact on the amount of plastic polluting the environment; backs campaign group A Plastic Planet’s calls for UK supermarkets to transparently report their plastic use; and calls on the Government to introduce mandatory annual reporting on plastic packaging use by UK supermarkets alongside targets to reduce it.

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.

869Casual Workers' Rights

Tabled: 10/09/20 Signatories: 16

Sir George Howarth

John McDonnell

Ian Lavery

Claudia Webbe

Mick Whitley

Chris Stephens

That this House regrettably notes that casual workers’ rights are wholly inadequate; further notes that zero-hours, rolling and other forms of insecure contracts have eroded job security and work-based entitlements to the extent that many people employed by such means are unable to buy or rent a home, afford utility costs or food; and calls on the Government to introduce legislative proposals to regulate insecure employment practices and institute rights for those employed by such means.

871Greencore

Tabled: 10/09/20 Signatories: 17

Dawn Butler

John McDonnell

Ian Lavery

Clive Lewis

Claudia Webbe

Mr Virendra Sharma

That this House notes that the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Greencore) Regulations 2020 (921) require staff at the company, which makes M&S sandwiches, to self-isolate for 14 days, without compensating staff for loss of earnings either at Greencore or elsewhere; further notes that staff have either been on SSP or furlough payments below the national living wage; notes that the regulations also apply to their family members without compensation for their loss of earnings; further notes that these regulations have caused extreme hardship to many staff members and their families forcing them to turn to food banks; and also notes that the company has continued production despite the Secretary of State for Health deciding it should close; this House congratulates the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union on its actions in support of its members at the factory and calls on the Government to intervene to require Greencore to provide staff with 100 per cent pay during their period of self-isolation in accordance with SI 2020 /921.

872Statutory sick pay (No. 2)

Tabled: 10/09/20 Signatories: 18

John McDonnell

Ian Lavery

Jeremy Corbyn

Claudia Webbe

Dr Philippa Whitford

Kate Osborne

That this House recognises that the covid-19 pandemic has highlighted that statutory sick pay (SSP) of £95.80 per week is not enough to live on, and that nearly two million low-paid part-time or zero hours workers are excluded from any sick pay at all; is gravely concerned that this situation puts them in the impossible situation of having to work while potentially unwell, thus putting their lives and those of their colleagues, customers and even patients at risk; recognises that many thousands of good employers already offer decent contractual sick pay arrangements for their workers, and believes they should not be undercut by bad employers who pass their responsibility onto taxpayers; recognises that the cost of failing to protect public health also causes severe economic damage; and supports the Don't Leave, Organise campaign in calling for Full Sick Pay Now via legislation to make it compulsory for all employers to provide six weeks of contractual sick pay at full pay, followed by an increased rate of statutory sick linked to the level of statutory maternity pay, with further steps to cover self-employed and zero hours workers.

873The global wildlife trade and prevention of future zoonotic pandemics

Tabled: 10/09/20 Signatories: 15

Sir David Amess

Jonathan Edwards

Lloyd Russell-Moyle

Martyn Day

Jim Shannon

Claudia Webbe

That this House notes with concern the increased risks of future pandemics from the continued exploitation and commodification of wildlife in the global wildlife trade; further notes that zoonotic diseases are responsible for over two billion cases of human illness and over two million human deaths each year, that sixty percent of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic and that seventy percent of these are thought to originate from wild animals; understands that the trade in wild animals is the likely cause for the emergence of the covid-19 pandemic and that the over-exploitation of wildlife has been identified as one of the dominant drivers of biodiversity loss; considers that this is not the first time that infectious zoonotic diseases have been linked to wild animals in recent years with SARS, Ebola and MERS all believed to have passed from wildlife to humans; and calls on the Government to show global leadership to ensure a pandemic like this never happens again by utilising the opportunity of the G20 meeting of world leaders in November to call for a ban of the international commercial trade in wild animals and wild animal products, and to work with other Governments, global institutions and bodies elsewhere to bring about an end to the global wildlife trade.

880Suspension of income requirements for family visas

Tabled: 14/09/20 Signatories: 51

Stuart C McDonald

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

Deidre Brock

Margaret Ferrier

Richard Thomson

That this House notes that there are thousands of couples and families who are currently separated, or at imminent risk of becoming separated, due to restrictive income requirements for British nationals and settled residents wishing to be joined in the UK by a partner from outside the EEA; welcomes the Minister for Immigration's commitment of 23 March 2020 that no one will have a negative outcome through the immigration system due to a circumstance that was beyond their control; further notes that family separation would clearly constitute such a negative outcome; further welcomes that Minister’s statement of 1 September 2020 that the circumstances brought about by the coronavirus pandemic are exceptional; notes with concern, however, that income requirements continue to be imposed on the sponsors of people applying to enter or remain in the UK with their British families despite those assurances; notes that guidance for caseworkers makes no mention of flexibility in the application of income requirements; is deeply troubled by the potential impact on those who must meet those income requirements of mass job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic; and calls on the Government therefore to immediately suspend income requirements.

882BBC Scotland and daily covid-19 briefings

Tabled: 14/09/20 Signatories: 15

Patricia Gibson

Jim Shannon

John Nicolson

Stewart Hosie

Chris Stephens

Alyn Smith

That this House condemns the decision of BBC Scotland to stop broadcasting the Scottish Government’s briefings on the covid-19 pandemic in Scotland; notes the consistent public interest in these briefings throughout this health crisis; is bewildered by the timing of this decision given that this is now a critical point when the public needs to be kept fully and speedily informed of any changes in public health advice as covid-19 cases begin to rise again; questions the BBC’s status as a public service broadcaster in the light of this decision given that these televised covid-19 updates are particularly valuable to older people, those with hearing difficulties and those who are not always able to access online information; is not aware that medical experts were consulted on the efficacy of this decision and the implications it potentially poses for public health; is concerned that this decision was made following pressure from both the Conservative and Labour parties; and is aware that many have questioned the political neutrality of this BBC decision given that the new BBC director general is a former Conservative party councillor.

88319th anniversary of the arrest and disappearance of Aster Fissehatsion

Tabled: 14/09/20 Signatories: 12

Carol Monaghan

Jim Shannon

Chris Stephens

Tommy Sheppard

Chris Law

Alison Thewliss

That this House notes that 18 September 2020 marks the 19th anniversary of the arrest and disappearance of Aster Fissehatsion and 10 other political leaders following their demands that Eritrea's constitution be implemented and that elections be held; condemns the ending of media freedom a few days later with the closure of all non-Government newspapers and the arrest and disappearance of Dawit Isaak, Seyoum Tsehaye and nine other journalists; urges the UK Government and international institutions to press the Government of Eritrea to release those prisoners who are still alive and to advise the families of those who are deceased; and calls for recognition of the thousands of other Eritreans who have been arrested and disappeared during the past 19 years.

884Centrica

Tabled: 14/09/20 Signatories: 52

John Cryer

Chris Stephens

Dawn Butler

Neil Coyle

John McDonnell

Judith Cummins

That this House recognises the constructive approach taken by GMB Union and Unison in negotiations around their members' pay and conditions with British Gas and its parent company Centrica; condemns the tactics employed by that company in commencing those negotiations with threats to dismiss and re-engage its UK workforce on lesser terms; commends British Gas workers who while furloughed during the covid-19 outbreak voluntarily delivered thousands of food parcels with the Trussell Trust; and calls on the company to do the right thing, withdraw the Section 188 notice of potential redundancies and negotiate in good faith with workers’ unions.

887Gas Safety week

Tabled: 14/09/20 Signatories: 10

Mr Barry Sheerman

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

Chris Stephens

John McNally

Lloyd Russell-Moyle

That this House welcomes the 10th Annual Gas Safety Week, running from 14 to 20 September 2020; recognises the importance that this awareness campaign, organised by the Gas Safe Register, plays in highlighting the importance of gas safety to the public; notes the devastating ripple effect that a gas incident, including death from carbon monoxide poisoning, can have on families and communities; further recognises the importance of having gas appliances regularly serviced by a Gas Safe registered engineer, particularly during the covid-19 outbreak given the significantly increased periods of time people are spending in the home; and urges all organisations involved in energy and gas provision to support Gas Safety Week and ensure their customers receive the required information to stay gas safe as we approach the winter heating season.

888Rural crime

Tabled: 15/09/20 Signatories: 10

Jim Shannon

Paul Girvan

Lloyd Russell-Moyle

Sir Mike Penning

Allan Dorans

Jonathan Edwards

That this House notes that rural crime cost the UK £54 million in 2019, an increase of almost 9 per cent on the previous year according to the NFU which represents three quarters of farms and rural businesses; further notes the need for investment in security on farms; and calls on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to consider a scheme which would improve security on the farm and prevent rural crime from making the difficult life of a farmer from being unnecessarily more stressful and difficult.

889National Eczema Week

Tabled: 15/09/20 Signatories: 12

Jim Shannon

Paul Girvan

Jonathan Edwards

Lloyd Russell-Moyle

Sir Mike Penning

Chris Stephens

That this House notes that it is National Eczema week starting on 16 September this year until 22 September; further notes the prevalence and the need for awareness of this disease to be highlighted with the mission to let the public know it is more common than a rash to ignore; underlines it has been estimated that up to 15 million people in the UK could be living with eczema with information showing that in 2015, GPs in England wrote about 27 million prescriptions for the topical agents used in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema) at a cost of approximately £169 million; and recognises that early treatment can be effective and improve quality of life.

890Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning

Tabled: 15/09/20 Signatories: 31

Alexander Stafford

Tim Farron

Jim Shannon

Ben Lake

Jonathan Edwards

Lloyd Russell-Moyle

That this House welcomes and applauds that nothing stops a Macmillan Coffee Morning, not even coronavirus; acknowledges that cancer hasn’t stopped during the pandemic where one in two people will be diagnosed in their lifetimes; recognises that Macmillan Cancer Support is currently campaigning to restore cancer care and treatment to prevent cancer from becoming the forgotten C in the coronavirus pandemic; notes the charity believes it is facing its hardest year in its 109-year existence, as it juggles delivery of its critical support for people with cancer from its famous nurses to its vital free helpline, alongside a significant drop in income due to fundraising events being cancelled; congratulates Macmillan Cancer Support who will be celebrating their 30th Anniversary of World’s Biggest Coffee morning on Friday 25 September; understands that it is more important than ever to support this much loved annual event and calls on all members to raise a mug on social media this September to demonstrate support for the three million people living with cancer across the UK and show that they will not be forgotten within this crisis.

893Air pollution and inequality

Tabled: 16/09/20 Signatories: 24

Apsana Begum

Claudia Webbe

Ms Diane Abbott

Ian Byrne

Jeremy Corbyn

John McDonnell

That this House expresses its concern at the recent findings of the Environment Agency’s State of the Environment report; notes that air pollution is the single biggest environmental threat to people’s health in the UK; further notes that many environmental factors, such as pollution and flooding, have been found to contribute to an increase in mental health conditions; is further concerned that access to nature is not equally distributed across our society and that exposure to pollution mirrors that difference; recognises that those living in more deprived areas experience the poorest quality of environment, as well as worse health, and that those facts are linked; asserts that in Tower Hamlets, according to campaigners, more than 40 per cent of the borough’s population live with unacceptable air quality; further asserts that examples such as Tower Hamlets often reflect the higher levels of inequality experienced by BAME communities; and calls on the Government to implement clean air policies, accompanied by an equalities report, to ensure that air quality levels are equal across our society and to ensure that the right to clean air is not determined by income or ethnic background.

895Extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Tabled: 17/09/20 Signatories: 18

John Nicolson

Alison Thewliss

Carol Monaghan

Stephen Farry

Allan Dorans

Liz Saville Roberts

That this House recognises the importance of retaining jobs in industries still affected by the ongoing covid-19 pandemic; further recognises that the cliff-edge October cut-off date of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is set to result in hundreds of thousands of avoidable redundancies; notes research from the Trussell Trust that the end of coronavirus job and income support is expected to spark a 61 per cent rise in food bank use this winter, plunging families across Scotland and the rest of the UK into poverty; and calls on the Government to act in line with other countries such as France, Ireland and Germany by extending the Job Retention Scheme into 2021.

899Phoenix Cup (No. 2)

Tabled: 21/09/20 Signatories: 3

Wendy Chamberlain

Jim Shannon

Chris Law

That this House celebrates the 25th and 26th Phoenix Cups which are currently being held in Scotland; notes that the Phoenix Cup provides a fantastic platform for sport for people with disabilities; congratulates Scottish Disability Golf and Curling for planning this important event in the face of huge logistical challenges posed by the covid-19 pandemic; and wishes the best of luck to all the participants in those cups.

900Moria Refugee Camp in Greece

Tabled: 21/09/20 Signatories: 6

Hywel Williams

Jonathan Edwards

Ben Lake

Liz Saville Roberts

Jim Shannon

Caroline Lucas

That this House expresses deep concern at the ongoing crisis in the Moria Refugee Camp in Greece; notes with alarm that the Greek authorities are struggling to move thousands of migrants to safety after the overpopulated refugee camp burned down; is distressed that an estimated 13,000 people were left without access to clean water, food, shelter and proper sanitation; is disturbed by the news that during the operational move, the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières were denied access to its new clinic in Lesbos for several hours by the Greek police, leaving thousands of refugees without the necessary medical aid that they need to survive; is appalled by the living conditions that migrants in the Moria Camp have had to endure for years; emphasises that refugee camps must meet basic living requirements that ensure the safety and security of the inhabitants; calls on the UK Government to work with European partners to find a solution to this issue; and further calls on the UK Government to grant asylum to the most vulnerable migrants that are still trapped in Moria Camp.

902Ukrainian miners' strike

Tabled: 21/09/20 Signatories: 4

John McDonnell

Jonathan Edwards

Jim Shannon

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

That this House notes that iron ore miners in Ukraine have been on strike since 3 September 2020 at the mines of KZRK in the city of Kryvyi Rih; salutes those courageous protests including an underground sit in, against unacceptable working conditions, low wages, authoritarian management, a lack of necessary tools and attacks on retirement rights; notes that the Kryvyi Rih City Council has appealed to the President to assist the miners and resolve that dispute; condemns intimidation of the families of union leaders and the use of the security service the SBU against the mineworkers; recognises the iron ore market currently enjoys high profitability; and calls on the employers linked to the oligarchs Ihor Kolomoisky and Rinat Akhmetov to recognise the miners' just demands and settle that dispute.

903Planning for health and wellbeing

Tabled: 21/09/20 Signatories: 5

Caroline Lucas

Hilary Benn

Jonathan Edwards

Jim Shannon

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

That this House is concerned about the low quality of new homes and places that are being created; recognises the overwhelming evidence of the link between people’s mental and physical health and the quality of their homes and neighbourhoods, including access to nature; notes the number of new homes which lack decent space and natural light; further notes that many homes do not provide walkable access to green space; is further concerned that the Planning White Paper reduces democratic accountability, significantly reduces the number of affordable homes delivered overall but particularly in rural areas and gives developers too much power over local decisions; and calls on the Government to put democracy, affordability, people’s health and wellbeing, and a right to access to nature for all at the heart of the planning reform process.

904Policing of the 1984-85 miners' strike

Tabled: 21/09/20 Signatories: 19

Ian Lavery

Ian Mearns

Apsana Begum

Ms Diane Abbott

Jeremy Corbyn

Mick Whitley

That this House welcomes the proposals made by an independent review established by the Scottish Government into the policing of the dispute during the 1984-85 miners’ strike in Scotland to introduce legislation to pardon those convicted for matters related to that strike; notes that the National Union of Mineworkers have been campaigning on these issues since the end of that strike; further notes that during the dispute across the UK 11,291 people were arrested, 8,392 charged and between 150 and 200 imprisoned; calls on the Government to follow the lead of the devolved administration in Scotland and set up an independent review into policing in the UK during the dispute, with a view to issuing pardons to all of those convicted.

905Winter support for tourism hospitality jobs and businesses

Tabled: 21/09/20 Signatories: 7

Tim Farron

Jim Shannon

Wendy Chamberlain

Daisy Cooper

Layla Moran

Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson

That this House acknowledges and is grateful for the unprecedented package of support for workers and business throughout the covid-19 outbreak; notes the importance of the spring and summer months for the UK’s £100bn tourism and hospitality industry; recognises that businesses in that sector missed out on much of that season due to lockdown; further recognises that many of these businesses are working at a reduced capacity due to social distancing guidelines which is resulting in lower income for these businesses; further notes the warning from UKHospitality that at least 900,000 jobs in the hospitality sector are at risk without further support; urges the Government to protect jobs and help give the confidence businesses need to help them survive the traditionally quiet autumn and winter months; and calls on the Government to implement proposals put forward by Cumbria Tourism including, helping to fund hospitality and tourism jobs from November 2020 to March 2021, extending funding grants for businesses in the sector and reintroducing the hugely successful Eat Out to Help Out scheme during the winter months.

907Presbyterian Church in Ireland support for South Sudan

Tabled: 21/09/20 Signatories: 5

Jim Shannon

Paul Girvan

Gavin Robinson

Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson

Carla Lockhart

That this House notes the work of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland in marking UN World Peace Day by highlighting the violence in South Sudan; further notes the statement produced by churches and agencies affiliated to the Ecumenical Network on South Sudan calling church partners to stand with the world’s newest nation and points out that the conflict has led to a dire humanitarian situation with 7.5 million people requiring humanitarian assistance, and more than 2.2 million fleeing the country; and reaffirms the position of this House to speak up and stand up against persecution in South Sudan.

909The Nourish charity

Tabled: 22/09/20 Signatories: 3

Neale Hanvey

Jim Shannon

Chris Law

That this House recognises the tremendous support offered to parents of children with additional support needs by Nourish, a charity set up by parents in Kirkcaldy to bring together families affected by disability, supplying information and links with other organisations as well as preventing isolation by providing an inclusive space for families to support each other to relax, unwind and offload; welcomes the opportunity the organisation has to improve its services by moving to a new facility; congratulates the charity on its fundraising efforts to date; and notes the progress made towards the £15,000 needed to set up the new Nourish support centre.

910Plastic-free Dalgety Bay

Tabled: 22/09/20 Signatories: 6

Neale Hanvey

Hannah Bardell

Jim Shannon

Margaret Ferrier

Allan Dorans

Chris Law

That this House congratulates Dalgety Bay on becoming the third community in Fife and one of just over 100 in the UK to be awarded Plastic-free Community status by Surfers Against Sewage; recognises the hard work of volunteers to gain this accreditation in June 2020, just nine months after forming Plastic-free Dalgety Bay; and welcomes efforts to unite campaigners against single-use plastics from across Fife under the banner of the Plastic-free Fife Network to help communities eliminate unnecessary use of single-use plastics.

911Battle of Prestonpans commemoration

Tabled: 22/09/20 Signatories: 4

Kenny MacAskill

Neale Hanvey

Jim Shannon

Chris Law

That this House joins in commemorating the 275th anniversary of the Battle of Prestonpans; notes that the battle was a decisive victory for Jacobite troops, dramatically increasing morale and leading directly to the early success and eventual failure of the 45 Rising; congratulates the Battle of Prestonpans 1745 Heritage Trust on holding a small socially distanced event; and notes that a fuller commemoration of that battle is planned for 2021.

912Riverside Hall’s response to covid-19

Tabled: 22/09/20 Signatories: 4

Chris Stephens

Hannah Bardell

Jim Shannon

Chris Law

That this House commends the Riverside Hall in Govan, Glasgow, for their inspiring work during the covid-19 outbreak by supporting families and children in the community with the delivery of over 5,000 emergency food parcels to isolated pensioners and local children and the offer of a regular prescription pick-up service; further commends the effort of their staff and local volunteers at the hall to bring a little cheer and combat the risk of mental health difficulties and social isolation among vulnerable people in the Govan area by reaching out with daily contact to make sure that those people knew they had support if they needed it; and thanks everyone involved with that community hall including staff, external agencies and volunteers who gave up their time to support those people most at need in their community at a time of national difficulty.

913First Ministers' call for aerospace support

Tabled: 22/09/20 Signatories: 7

Gavin Robinson

Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson

Mr Gregory Campbell

Carla Lockhart

Ian Paisley

John Spellar

That this House commends the joint position taken by the First and Deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland, the First Minister of Scotland and the First Minister of Wales in calling upon the Government to provide targeted, bespoke assistance for the UK's aerospace sector; agrees that without such intervention tens of thousands of high-skilled jobs across the UK could be lost; implores the Government to consider seriously and advance quickly its proposal for an aerospace task force; urges the Government to urgently confirm an extension to the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme for that vital sector that spans the economies of the UK's four nations; and expresses admiration for the constructive co-ordination that Unite, the trades union, has deployed in that regard.

914Upgrading digital selling skills to safeguard jobs

Tabled: 22/09/20 Signatories: 4

Martyn Day

Hannah Bardell

Jim Shannon

Chris Law

That this House recognises that with unemployment rising Britain needs to sell its way out of recession to safeguard jobs; notes that the covid-19 pandemic has speeded up the digitisation of how UK businesses sell by 5.3 years; further notes that 93.3 per cent of SMEs do not train their staff in digital skills; and calls on the Government to take forward a range of measures to promote digital selling skills especially in SMEs in order to safeguard jobs across the whole economy.

915Midlothian Young People’s Advice Service grant from BBC Children in Need

Tabled: 22/09/20 Signatories: 3

Owen Thompson

Jim Shannon

Chris Law

That this House congratulates MYPAS (the Midlothian Young People’s Advice Service) on its award of a £67,851 grant from BBC Children in Need’s Next Steps Fund; understands that this will fund a full-time counsellor over the next 18 months to engage with young people adversely mentally affected by the situations brought about by the covid-19 pandemic, with particular regard to LGBT+ young people; notes that MYPAS promotes the health and wellbeing of young people (aged 12 to 25) in Midlothian through the provision of drug and alcohol services, street work, art therapy, counselling, sexual health drop-ins and more; further notes the serious impact on young people’s mental health caused by the covid-19 pandemic; and commends organisations such as MYPAS which seek to address those issues.

916Ian Miller's retirement from Scotmid Co-operative

Tabled: 22/09/20 Signatories: 4

Owen Thompson

Hannah Bardell

Jim Shannon

Chris Law

That this House sends its best wishes to Ian Miller upon retiring from Scotmid Co-operative after 17 years on the co-operative’s East Regional Committee and nine years on its central board; notes that Ian served as a branch manager in Penicuik for 15 years and has held society membership for 36 years; and commends Ian for his contribution to the community.

917Humanitarian and human rights situation in Zimbabwe

Tabled: 23/09/20 Signatories: 4

Margaret Ferrier

Jim Shannon

Brendan O'Hara

Allan Dorans

That this House is deeply concerned about the on-going humanitarian and human rights crisis in Zimbabwe, despite the fresh start promised by President Mnangagwa when he took office over two years ago after the end of former President Mugabe’s rule; notes with alarm that over half the population is dependent on food aid, as well as the virtual collapse of the health and education systems, and more general infrastructure; further notes with regret that fundamental rights are routinely being violated, with reportedly more than 70 Government critics having been abducted and tortured by men suspected to be state security agents in the last year, including MDC Alliance MP Joanna Mamombe and activists Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova, who are now incredibly being tried for faking their abduction and torture; urges the Zimbabwean Government to undertake meaningful political and economic reform, and particularly to investigate alleged serious human rights abuses and corrupt practice over the last two years and prosecute those responsible; and calls on the Government to continue providing vital humanitarian assistance to Zimbabweans on the basis of need, to support and protect Zimbabweans committed to democracy, rule of law and an equitable economic recovery, and to apply targeted sanctions on those responsible for the most serious human rights abuses.

918Death penalty sentences against protestors in Iran

Tabled: 23/09/20 Signatories: 3

Margaret Ferrier

Jim Shannon

Allan Dorans

That this House is shocked by the execution of champion wrestler, Navid Afkari and the alarming frequency of death penalty sentences being handed down to those involved in anti-Government protests in 2018 and 2019 in Iran; notes with alarm that the execution of Mr. Afkari is the second recent execution in connection with those protests and that his trial was held behind closed doors and allegedly relied on forced confessions extracted under torture; echoes the call of UN human rights experts earlier this month to the Iranian Government to immediately halt all executions of protesters sentenced to death; and calls on the Government to raise relevant concerns with the Iranian Government as a matter of urgency to ensure that the death penalty is imposed only for the most serious crimes and after proceedings meeting the highest level of respect for fair trial and due process standards.

919Shortage of learning disability nurses

Tabled: 23/09/20 Signatories: 2

Bob Blackman

Jim Shannon

That this house expresses concern that there will potentially be a repeat of the 134 per cent increase in deaths of people with learning disabilities that happened between 10 April and 15 of May 2020 with the recent rise of covid-19 cases without more learning disability (LD) nurses; notes that the NHS North West London Trust recently decided to recruit another learning disability nurse to address the issues that led to this increase in deaths; further notes that more LD nurses would help the Government implement its incoming Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in Learning Disability and Autism; and calls on the Government to launch a campaign to support the recruitment of more learning disability nurses and get more into lead positions at hospitals.

921Maira Shahbaz and child abduction, forced conversion and marriage in Pakistan

Tabled: 23/09/20 Signatories: 5

Brendan O'Hara

Jim Shannon

Patrick Grady

Dr Lisa Cameron

David Linden

That this House notes with grave concern reports from Pakistan on Maira Shahbaz, a 14-year-old Christian girl who was abducted at gunpoint from the streets of Madina Town in Faisalabad by three men, forced to convert to Islam and then marry one of her abductors, Mr. Nakash; is further concerned that, despite her family producing a birth certificate showing Maira to be 14-years-old and the Grand Mufti of a local mosque condemning as false the marriage certificate produced in court by Mr Nakash, the Lahore High Court overruled an earlier decision by the Faisalabad Sessions and District court to place her in a women’s shelter, subsequently forcing her to return to Mr Nakash; understands that recently, Maira managed to escape from the home of Mr. Nakash and that she and her family are currently in hiding; calls on the UK government to do everything in its power to help Maira and all of the estimated 1,000 Pakistani Christian and Hindu girls who are kidnapped, forced to convert and marry their abductor every year.

922Relocation of aslyum seekers and refugees from Aegean Islands

Tabled: 23/09/20 Signatories: 7

Stuart C McDonald

Jim Shannon

Margaret Ferrier

Joanna Cherry

Deidre Brock

Caroline Lucas

That this House recognises the deteriorating conditions faced by asylum seekers and refugees on the Aegean Islands and notes the recent fire at the Moria camp in Lesvos which has left 13,000 people without shelter; welcomes the fact that Germany, France and Norway have agreed to take some of those vulnerable people; and calls on the UK government to participate in relocating asylum seekers and refugees from the Aegean Islands to local authorities in the UK and to provide the necessary support to enable that relocation.