Contents

Published: Friday 24 November 2023

Early Day Motions tabled on Thursday 23 November 2023

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

100Sporting ambitions of children on dependent visas

Tabled: 23/11/23 Signatories: 1

Daisy Cooper

That this House notes that some people who are legally residing in the United Kingdom have children attached to their dependent visas who are extremely talented at sports; expresses extreme disappointment at the refusal of the Home Office to establish a route for these talented children on dependent visas to enter a professional sporting environment to further their career; regrets that children who have entered the UK dependants are precluded from pursuing a professional sporting career; and calls on the Government to engage with the Professional Footballers Association, football clubs and other sporting bodies that want to nurture the sporting talent of these young people.

101Go North East bus strike

Tabled: 23/11/23 Signatories: 1

Grahame Morris

That this House condemns Go North East for their failure to resolve ongoing industrial action; notes that when at full operation Go North East is part of a failed status quo of sub standard public transport provision in the North East region outside of major cities; believes Go North East undermines the local economy by paying drivers 20% less in the North East than in the North West; supports pay parity and equal pay for equal work and North East drivers should receive the same rates of pay as colleagues in the North West; and calls on the Government to recognise that privatised deregulated bus services is damaging our community, local economy and employment and urgent reform is required to create publicly owned, publicly run municipal bus provision that reinvests profits into better wages, terms and conditions, lower fares, more frequent and reliable service that meets the needs of the community and new green and environmentally sustainable infrastructure rather than continuing to pay excessive executive pay and shareholder dividends.

102Radio Teleswitching Service

Tabled: 23/11/23 Signatories: 1

Jamie Stone

That this House recognises the Radio Teleswitching Service’s (RTS) impending closure in March 2024; understands the importance of the service in optimising energy bills and supporting effective energy usage for almost one million consumers nationally; appreciates the challenges faced by suppliers in transitioning customers to new smart metre technology; further understands that not all households will have access to the smart metre network in time for the closure of RTS; and therefore calls on the government to step in and work with energy suppliers to ensure households are effectively transitioned to alternative technology within the mentioned time frame, alleviating potential price increases and protecting households from heating and energy supply disruption.

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.

3415th anniversary of the opening of the Food Stop, Glasgow

Tabled: 9/11/23 Signatories: 8

Alison Thewliss

Patrick Grady

Allan Dorans

David Linden

Jim Shannon

Chris Stephens

That this House recognises the 15th anniversary of the opening of the Food Stop takeaway in Merchant City, Glasgow, on 2 November 2023; acknowledges the efforts of Andy and his team in providing local residents, commuters and visitors with high-quality sweet and savoury lunch and breakfast food for all these years; congratulates them on this significant milestone; and wishes them all the best for the future.

35Pakistani Street Food and the Scottish Takeaway Awards 2023

Tabled: 9/11/23 Signatories: 7

Alison Thewliss

Allan Dorans

David Linden

Jim Shannon

Chris Stephens

Chris Law

That this House recognises the success of Pakistani Street Food of Govanhill, Glasgow, at the Scottish Takeaway Awards 2023; notes their success in the Outstanding Takeaway of the Year category; acknowledges the hard work of the staff and owners of Pakistani Street Food in providing a unique experience to the residents and visitors of Govanhill and the surrounding area; congratulates them on this significant achievement; and wishes them all the best in all future endeavours.

36The Roll Shop and the Scottish Takeaway Awards 2023

Tabled: 9/11/23 Signatories: 6

Alison Thewliss

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

Chris Stephens

Chris Law

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

That this House recognises the success of the Roll Shop of Polmadie Road, Glasgow, at the Scottish Takeaway Awards 2023; notes their success in the Deli of the Year Central category; acknowledges the hard work of Sandra and her team in providing delicious food to the residents and visitors of Polmadie, Govanhill and the surrounding area; congratulates them on this achievement; and wishes them all the best for the future.

37MacTassos and the Scottish Takeaway Awards 2023

Tabled: 9/11/23 Signatories: 7

Alison Thewliss

Patrick Grady

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

Chris Stephens

Chris Law

That this House recognises the success of MacTassos of Kelvin Way, Glasgow, at the Scottish Takeaway Awards 2023; notes their success in the Street Food Trailer of the Year category; acknowledges the hard work of the owners and staff of MacTassos in providing Glaswegians and visitors to the city with authentic Greek food since 2017; congratulates them on this significant achievement; and wishes them all the best in all future endeavours.

44Breast cancer screening and entitlement to paid leave

Tabled: 13/11/23 Signatories: 9

Jonathan Edwards

Ben Lake

Kate Osborne

Chris Stephens

Jim Shannon

Cat Smith

That this House notes that the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Governments all offer breast cancer screening to women aged 50 to 70 every three years; supports such policies as an important preventative health care strategy; calls for employment law to be amended to remove barriers to and ensure that women do not lose pay and entitlements for attending appointments; and commends the work of the JG HR Pledge campaign for raising awareness of and encouraging employers to pledge to support their employees to attend regular screening appointments.

47Seasonal Worker visa scheme

Tabled: 13/11/23 Signatories: 24

John McDonnell

Jon Trickett

Jonathan Edwards

Kate Osborne

Chris Stephens

Kim Johnson

That this House notes the recent report by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the Independent which identified issues of racism, wage theft and threats of being sent back home in 19 farm inspection reports produced by the Home Office between 2021 and 2022; recognises that migrant seasonal workers are integral to the UK’s horticultural sector and that working conditions under the seasonal worker visa must urgently be improved; further recognises that the current iteration of the seasonal worker visa is due to expire at the end of 2024 and that improvements to working conditions must be implemented before any decision to extend the scheme is made; calls on the Government to urgently complete and publish a review of the seasonal worker visa scheme in line with the recommendations that it accepted by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration in the report entitled An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the agricultural sector, published in December 2022; further calls on the Government to implement the recommendations on the seasonal worker visa scheme of the report by the House of Lords Select Committee on Horticulture entitled Sowing the seeds: A blooming English horticultural sector (November 2023); and calls on the Government to engage with independent civil society organisations advocating for the rights of migrant seasonal workers in the recently formed Seasonal Worker Interest Group to address the design-related issues from the seasonal workers visa scheme.

48Iran's influence in the Middle East

Tabled: 13/11/23 Signatories: 4

Bob Blackman

Jim Shannon

Martyn Day

Chris Law

That this House is deeply concerned by the role of the Iranian regime in the deadly conflicts in the Middle East; notes that for over four decades Iran’s regime has adopted a dual strategy of domestic suppression, such as the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, mostly supporters of the PMOI/MEK, and creating external crises by warmongering and use of terrorism to assure its own survival; recalls that for years Khomeini rejected a ceasefire in the Iran-Iraq war, vowing to liberate Qods, Jerusalem, via Karbala despite the huge death toll inflicted; further recalls that Iran’s regime uses proxy terror groups to carry out terrorist attacks in the region; is deeply concerned by the regime’s use of hostage diplomacy to extract concessions from the West, examples of which include the release of its diplomat-terrorist, sentenced to 20 years in prison for trying to bomb an NCRI rally, by Belgium in return for hostages illegally held by Iran; reiterates that there can never be peace in the Middle East while Iran’s regime remains in power; and urges the Government to target warmongering in Tehran by proscribing the IRGC and supporting the Iranian people’s desire for regime change.

53Refugee campaign groups from the North East

Tabled: 13/11/23 Signatories: 10

Ian Lavery

Jon Trickett

Kate Osborne

Chris Stephens

Kim Johnson

Mick Whitley

That this House welcomes the lobby of Parliament by refugee groups from the North East of England to be held in Room S of Portcullis House from 2.00pm to 4.00pm on Tuesday 28 November; proudly acknowledges that the UK has, for centuries, provided a haven for those fleeing oppression; understands that many people seeking asylum display qualities of great courage and resilience and have abilities which can serve this country well; and urges all hon. Members to attend the lobby in order to hear the case for a fair system of asylum that enables safe routes to get to the UK, treats human beings with dignity and care in a timely and efficient manner, and allows them to make an immediate contribution to the UK through paid work.

55Protections for the green belt

Tabled: 14/11/23 Signatories: 4

Jon Trickett

Jim Shannon

John McDonnell

Richard Burgon

That this House expresses its concern about building developments on green belt land; notes that the Secretary-General of the United Nations has said that humanity is becoming a weapon of mass extinction; further notes that the extinction of wildlife species has a knock-on impact on the wider ecosystem and causes escalating levels of environmental destruction, which plays a significant role in climate breakdown; regrets that many local plans contain proposals to build on green belt land, including in an area of the Wakefield District that is home to ancient woodland and a number of rare and endangered bird and animal species; also regrets that the Government failed to support amendments to the Levelling Up Bill, which would have prevented building on areas with vulnerable and endangered species; believes that Parliament must do more to ensure that our country’s natural environment is protected; further believes that access to green spaces not only enhances quality of life, but also helps with mental health, tackling obesity and improving general health; recognises that there is a considerable need for new housing in the UK, but thinks that this should be built whilst limiting the damage to the natural environment and should be affordable for local people; calls on the Government to protect green belt land by adopting a brownfield first policy and tougher protections for endangered species; and further calls on the Government to ensure that local authorities have the final say over developments in their areas.

59Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, Laudate Deum

Tabled: 14/11/23 Signatories: 7

Dr Lisa Cameron

Patrick Grady

Jonathan Edwards

Mary Kelly Foy

Ian Byrne

John McDonnell

That this House welcomes Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, Laudate Deum, which builds on his encyclical letter Laudato Si’, that calls on world leaders to put global common good ahead of self interest; urges international governments to commit to a transition from fossil fuels that is binding and measurable; acknowledges the injustice that it is the world’s poorest communities that are disproportionately affected by climate change, despite contributing the least to global emissions; commends the work of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development and the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund who work alongside climate vulnerable communities to respond to climate change and with Global South organisations to campaign for global leadership to tackle climate change; and notes the significance of Pope Francis’ message to world leaders ahead of COP28 to be ambitious in their pledges to tackle climate change and provide their fair share of financing to meet existing climate finance pledges.

60Scottish Gymnastics lifetime achievement award

Tabled: 15/11/23 Signatories: 7

Drew Hendry

Jonathan Edwards

Allan Dorans

Chris Law

Jim Shannon

Chris Stephens

That this house congratulates Liz Danby on receiving a lifetime achievement award from Scottish Gymnastics for the decades of service she has committed to helping children and young people get involved in gymnastics; notes that she set up a schools gymnastics programme to improve accessibility to the sport; recognises that her enthusiasm and support helped hundreds of young people across the Highlands; pays thanks to her for her commitment and dedication over the years; and wishes her all the best for her retirement.

62VAT on audiobooks

Tabled: 15/11/23 Signatories: 10

Sir Mike Penning

Claire Hanna

Jonathan Edwards

Caroline Lucas

Jim Shannon

Chris Stephens

That this House recognises that audio books, now popular and widely available across all genres, from business to academic, from historical to self help, are a lifeline for many people with sight loss, visual impairment, dyslexia or other reading disabilities; agrees that audio books offer unique opportunities for visually-impaired and dyslexic people to improve their education on a par with their peers; recognises that audio books enable visually-impaired and dyslexic people to continue working independently for longer and thereby contribute to the economy for longer; further recognises that audio books open up a world of information, literature and poetry to visually-impaired and dyslexic people; welcomes the zero-rate VAT for e-books but also recognises that e-books, when read aloud by automated text-to-speech, are difficult to listen to for long periods, lack intonation, may mispronounce names and places, can often read out every bracket and notation, making it difficult to comprehend or recall meaning; notes that other European countries have recently reduced their rates of VAT on audiobooks, including Norway to zero; and calls for equal VAT-status to be applied to audio books as already exists for e-books and physical books.

63Plastics in the world's seas

Tabled: 15/11/23 Signatories: 9

Sir Mike Penning

Claire Hanna

Jonathan Edwards

Mohammad Yasin

Jim Shannon

Chris Stephens

That this House notes that according to the UN there will be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050; calls for the Government to publish a strategy for promoting a circular economy in respect of plastics, including setting targets and measures for the elimination and recycling of single-use plastics; further calls for the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to establish a task force to develop proposals to encourage the use of reuse and refill models of packaging, to report annually to Parliament on the implementation of the strategy, to ensure that UK targets for the elimination and recycling of plastic packaging are more demanding than equivalent targets set by the EU, and to require manufacturers and retailers to pay for the cost of recycling plastic; calls for Government to set annual targets for reducing the quantity of plastic waste that is incinerated; further calls for the Secretary of State to publish a plan for banning the export of plastic waste by 2027, make provision for the purpose of reducing the cost of recycling plastic, including measures to encourage the standardisation of plastic packaging, give powers to the Office for Environmental Protection to enforce legislation relating to plastic pollution, and make provision for the purpose of encouraging the development of sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging; and calls on the Government to publish a plan for the use of fiscal policy to incentivise investment in recycling infrastructure and sustainable behaviour by consumers and retailers.

64Ban on the import of foie gras

Tabled: 15/11/23 Signatories: 8

Sir Mike Penning

Jonathan Edwards

Caroline Lucas

Jim Shannon

Patricia Gibson

Ian Byrne

That this House condemns the production of foie gras by force-feeding ducks and geese which causes severe physical and psychological pain for the animals involved; welcomes the continued ban on production of foie gras in the UK; and calls on the Government to introduce the promised ban on the import of foie gras immediately.

65Redundancies at Reach plc and sustainability of the press

Tabled: 15/11/23 Signatories: 13

Ian Byrne

Grahame Morris

Chris Stephens

John McDonnell

Rebecca Long Bailey

Liz Saville Roberts

That this House is dismayed at the extent of substantial job cuts announced by Reach plc, publisher of titles including The Mirror, Daily Record, Daily Star, Manchester Evening News, Irish Mirror and Liverpool Echo; notes that the company has indicated an estimated 450 posts will be made redundant at the company, including 320 editorial roles; further notes that this represents the third round of job cuts at the publisher this year alone; fears that the quality of news provision will inevitably be impacted by the loss of talented and experienced staff; calls on the management to work collaboratively with the National Union of Journalists to avoid compulsory redundancies; and urges the Government to take immediate action to protect the sustainability of the press and encourage investment in quality journalism at local, regional and national levels.

66Now or Never winner of Restaurant of the Year at the Lancaster Business Awards 2023

Tabled: 15/11/23 Signatories: 4

Cat Smith

Jim Shannon

Richard Burgon

Patrick Grady

That this House congratulates Nichola and Jeff Marshall, directors for Now Or Never restaurant in Lancaster and their whole team after winning Restaurant of the Year at the Lancaster Business Awards; thanks Now or Never for providing a unique, fine dining experience to the city thus boosting the Lancaster night time economy; pays tribute to Nichola and Jeff as small business owners for first opening a hugely successful brunch spot Journey Social and then expanding their horizons by opening Now or Never earlier this year, both venues are deeply valued by the Lancaster community; and wishes them every success in the future.

67Council budgets and audits

Tabled: 16/11/23 Signatories: 10

Helen Morgan

Jonathan Edwards

Claudia Webbe

Jim Shannon

Sarah Dyke [R]

Richard Foord

That this House notes with concern the increase in the number of councils struggling to meet the costs of temporary accommodation, Special Educational Needs and Disability services and social care; recognises the importance of local councils’ services in providing essential support for vulnerable individuals and their families; notes with concern the backlog in the number of unaudited accounts for councils and other public bodies; understands that 99% of English councils did not have their 2022-23 financial accounts signed off by the legal audit deadline; further notes the increasing pressure on local councils to make precarious investments to protect essential services; regrets government cuts to local council budgets since 2015; and calls on the Government to ensure local councils are adequately funded and resourced to clear the audit backlog and provide essential services for the long term.

70Sewage discharges

Tabled: 16/11/23 Signatories: 11

Jon Trickett

Jonathan Edwards

Ian Lavery

Mary Kelly Foy

Claudia Webbe

Jim Shannon

That this House expresses its concern at the continuing dumping of sewage into UK waterways; recognises that the practice is dangerous to public health and damaging to the environment; further recognises that the pollution is making it unsafe for people to swim in natural designated bathing sites such as the River Wharfe in Ilkely, West Yorkshire, which has been given a water quality rating of poor by the Environment Agency; notes that despite multiple failures, £19 billion was paid out in dividends to shareholders in water and sewerage businesses operating in England between 2010 and 2021, which is an average of £1.7 billion a year; further notes that water bills in England and Wales have increased by 40 per cent above inflation since privatisation in 1989; notes with dismay that water companies in England and Wales want bills to increase by £156 a year by 2030 to pay for upgrades and reduce sewage discharges; calls on the Government to immediately place a legal duty on the water companies to avoid sewage dumping; and expresses its support for the public ownership of the UK water system so that the profits of this national asset benefit all the people of the UK and not just a small group of shareholders.

72Puppy smuggling

Tabled: 20/11/23 Signatories: 15

Owen Thompson

Jim Shannon

Patricia Gibson

Deidre Brock

Ian Byrne

Grahame Morris

That this House recognises the vile puppy smuggling trade and sterling efforts by Dogs Trust to end this cruel practice; shares the deep fears of many people about the suffering of dogs and puppies at the hands of smugglers; recognises the seriousness of this welfare issue and acknowledges the disappointment of many that the Kept Animals Bill, which had the potential to crack down on this illegal trade, was dropped; and backs the Trust’s demands that we bring an end to the horrors of puppy smuggling.

79Sanctions imposed on Everton Football Club

Tabled: 20/11/23 Signatories: 22

Ian Byrne

Kim Johnson

Mick Whitley

Paula Barker

Peter Dowd

John McDonnell

That this House condemns the grossly unjust points deduction imposed on Everton Football Club by a Premier League Commission, a punishment lacking any legal or equitable foundation or justification for the level of sanction; notes that financial-not-sporting penalties for far more severe breaches have been applied, including the industry-and-community-threatening European Super League; declares that sporting sanctions unfairly punish supporters; notices the improper dismissal of extraordinary mitigating circumstances outlined by Everton; impresses on the House Everton’s investment in North Liverpool, its 2028 Euro Stadium, and the club’s long-standing, commendable commitment to Liverpool’s vulnerable; gravely remarks that these investments are now under threat; that this House contends the Premier League can no longer fairly govern top-flight football without independent scrutiny and legislation; asserts that the Commission’s cavalier approach to points deductions necessitates acceleration of the introduction of the Government’s proposed Independent Regulator; urges the Government to immediately establish an Independent Football Regulator that will safeguard the future of the game, enforce compliance with financial regulation, and establish new guardrails for corporate governance, club ownership, fan engagement, and competition regulation; requests the suspension of all proceedings and sanctions made by the Commission until the Regulator makes its own determinations; and demands fan ownership and board representation.

80Local Housing Allowance and housing supply

Tabled: 20/11/23 Signatories: 30

Paula Barker

Kim Johnson

Mary Kelly Foy

Caroline Lucas

Jim Shannon

Mick Whitley

That this House acknowledges the endemic housing crisis which now affects all communities across the country and the unsustainable rent increases across the private rented sector; affirms the current inadequacy of Local Housing Allowance, frozen since April 2020; believes that Local Housing Allowance has not kept pace with rising rents; recognises that Discretionary Housing Payments are insufficient in reducing the burden on local authority homelessness teams; expresses concern at the strain temporary accommodation is placing on local authority budgets; welcomes any commitment by any of the major parties to increase housing supply over the medium and long term; implores any potential party of government to commit to immediate interventions to alleviate the housing and homelessness emergency in the short term; and urges the Government to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance during forthcoming fiscal events and restore it to, at the very minimum, the 30th percentile of rents in every local authority area.

82Safe access zones

Tabled: 20/11/23 Signatories: 7

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Kim Johnson

Ms Diane Abbott

Ian Byrne

Jonathan Edwards

John McDonnell

That this House celebrates the legislative introduction of Safe Access Zones around abortion clinics and buildings offering abortion services in the Public Order Act 2023; notes that although the Act received Royal Assent on 2 May 2023, provisions within the Act about Safe Access Zones, as outlined in section 9, have yet to come into force and require the introduction of a statutory instrument, as outlined in section 35(5) of the Act; is concerned that, until Safe Access Zones are enforced, pro-life protestors are permitted to continue staging protests outside abortion facilities, potentially hindering access to services and intimidating service users and staff; acknowledges that Safe Access Zones are a key instrument to protecting women’s access to healthcare and their right to choose; and therefore calls on the Home Secretary to bring forward a statutory instrument to enforce Safe Access Zones around abortion clinics and buildings offering abortion services without further delay.

83Hearings on the return of African artefacts and ancestral remains

Tabled: 20/11/23 Signatories: 15

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Mary Kelly Foy

Kim Johnson

Ms Diane Abbott

Zarah Sultana

Ian Byrne

That this House seeks to honour and continue the work of the late Bernie Grant, former Member of Parliament for Tottenham, on the restitution of African artefacts and ancestral remains; notes the recent report by the APPG on Afrikan Reparations entitled, Hearings on the Restitution of Stolen African Artefacts and Ancestral Remains, which brings together a diverse range of experts and perspectives on the matter of restitution of African artefacts and human remains from museums and other cultural institutions; agrees that countries have the right to care for their own cultural heritage, and their own cultural artefacts; is appalled by the disregard shown by the British Museum for the significance of some of the cultural artefacts in its possession, which has led to several cultural artefacts being improperly quantified, organised or labelled; believes this demonstrates the British Museum’s unsuitability to be a proper custodian of the cultural artefacts of other nations; regrets that British institutions are falling behind other countries such as Germany who are now leading on restitution issues after having recognised the moral and ethical dimensions of the issue; suggests that through supporting restitution efforts and implementing necessary changes to legislation and museum practices, the Government can take significant steps towards rectifying historical injustices and fostering a more equitable and inclusive approach to cultural heritage; and calls on the Government to acknowledge and enact the seven recommendations in the APPG for Afrikan Reparation’s report entitled, Hearings on the Restitution of Stolen African Artefacts and Ancestral Remains.

89Asbestos-related lung cancer

Tabled: 21/11/23 Signatories: 7

Martin Docherty-Hughes

Jim Shannon

Mary Kelly Foy

Paul Girvan

John McDonnell

Jeremy Corbyn

That this House is concerned that sufferers of asbestos-related lung cancer are denied full compensation if they are unable to trace all their former employers whose negligence contributed to the disease; recognises that the number of people affected is small, but the impact on their lives and the lives of their families can be devastating; is aware that section 3 of the Compensation Act 2006 allows sufferers of mesothelioma in these circumstances to receive full compensation; further recognises that mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer are similar diseases which are often difficult to distinguish, even with expert medical evidence; believes that sufferers of asbestos-related lung cancer should have their right to full compensation protected by legislation; and urges the Government to introduce legislation similar to section 3 of the Compensation Act 2006 for suffers of asbestos-related lung cancer.

90Reinstatement of the Access to Elected Office Fund

Tabled: 21/11/23 Signatories: 10

Daisy Cooper

Jim Shannon

Michael Shanks

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

Wendy Chamberlain

Caroline Lucas

That this House notes with regret the underrepresentation of disabled people in Parliament, whilst one in five members of the working-age population identify as disabled, just five MPs disclosed they identify as disabled at the 2019 General Election; believes it is important that disabled people are enabled to contribute to the decisions which affect their lives; understands that financial barriers are a major factor in preventing many disabled people from pursuing elected office; acknowledges that disabled people face additional disability related costs such as paying for Personal Assistants, BSL Interpreters, transport, and assistive technology; commends the Centenary Action report entitled Overcoming the barriers to disabled women’s involvement in politics which found that financial support was the most commonly cited requirement by disabled women to contest an election; regrets that the government abolished the Access to Elected Office Fund in 2015 and the successor EnAble Fund by government in March 2020; notes that the government report Barriers to elected office for disabled people also identified the impact of financial barriers on the selection and election of disabled people; and supports the reinstatement of a fund on a permanent basis to enable disabled people to stand for election for public office, and bring a diversity of experience to our society and democracy.

91Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

Tabled: 21/11/23 Signatories: 16

Mrs Paulette Hamilton

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

Mick Whitley

Layla Moran

Jon Trickett

That this House acknowledges that November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month; recognises that survival rates in the UK still lag behind much of the rest of Europe and the World; notes that pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect and that diagnosis takes too long with slow processes and multiple tests leaving people in the dark; understands that once identified, people face huge obstacles getting the information and care they need to be well enough to have treatment with many people feeling they have no support plan in place, and no help to manage symptoms; further understands that once diagnosed, seven out of ten people don’t get any treatment, the highest proportion of all cancer types, and that half of people die within a month of diagnosis; believes that people with pancreatic cancer urgently need a faster, fairer, funded pathway throughout their diagnosis, treatment and care; supports Pancreatic Cancer UK’s efforts to ensure implementation of such a pathway; commends all of the charities and activist organisations and their dedicated supporters for their tireless efforts to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer; and wishes everyone involved with Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month every success in their endeavours.

92Age Scotland’s 80th Anniversary

Tabled: 21/11/23 Signatories: 5

Patricia Gibson

Jim Shannon

Steven Bonnar

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Patrick Grady

That this House celebrates the 80th anniversary of Age Scotland’s work to support older people; understands that the first meeting of an earlier incarnation of Age Scotland, the Scottish Old People’s Welfare Committee, took place in Edinburgh in January 1943 to support the war effort and the wellbeing of older people in Scotland; acknowledges that the Committee’s aims were to gather information on the present position of the care and welfare of the aged and to raise awareness of the needs of older people; considers that, in the past 80 years, Age Scotland has made an invaluable contribution through its work in helping older people to live as well as possible, in promoting positive views of ageing and later life, and in tackling loneliness and isolation; notes that Age Scotland recently published the findings of its Big Survey 2023, which aims to take the temperature of what it is like to be an older person in Scotland; recognises that one of the events planned to mark this milestone is a parliamentary reception on 15 November 2023 to celebrate the contribution of older people and groups from the North Ayrshire and Arran constituency and across Scotland, including the winners of Age Scotland’s annual awards, and to hear about the charity’s latest research, which outlines the political priorities of people over the age of 50 and how they feel about growing older in Scotland; and wishes chief executive, Katherine Crawford, and everyone at Age Scotland continued success.

95Retirement of Stephen McLellan from Recovery Across Mental Health

Tabled: 22/11/23 Signatories: 4

Mhairi Black

Kirsten Oswald

Gavin Newlands

Patrick Grady

That this House congratulates Stephen McLellan for his 33 years of service in the West of Scotland for Recovery Across Mental Health (RAMH); notes that RAMH do vital work giving support to individuals and communities that experience mental ill health; recognises that Stephen’s efforts and contribution in supporting our communities have been both admirable and invaluable; and wishes Stephen all the best for his retirement.

9625th Anniversary of East Kilbride Visually Impaired Group

Tabled: 22/11/23 Signatories: 2

Dr Lisa Cameron

Patrick Grady

That this House celebrates the 25th Anniversary of East Kilbride Visually Impaired Group; recognises that the group was started by Brian Hunter in 1998 with five attendees and has grown to having more than 30 attendees each week who benefit from local support and services; commends all volunteers and members, including Margaret Taylor, the Group Secretary, who first joined eleven years ago making everyone’s tea; thanks everyone providing transport who ensure that members can access meetings where they enjoy sharing experiences and a sense of community; further commends those providing funding for this invaluable work to continue across East Kilbride as it is run on a voluntary basis; calls for wider advocacy and inclusive policy development involving visually impaired people; and wishes East Kilbride Visually Impaired Group ongoing success for the future.

9720th Anniversary of East Kilbride Healthy and Active Group

Tabled: 22/11/23 Signatories: 2

Dr Lisa Cameron

Patrick Grady

That this House celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Healthy and Active group in East Kilbride; commends every volunteer and staff member who are dedicated to supporting the East Kilbride community in helping members to achieve inclusion, personal independence and confidence; recognises that the group started 20 years ago with the inception of the Shopmobility service; further recognises that Healthy and Active have significantly expanded their services to include a community hub and wellbeing and cost of living support alongside outdoor activities; and wishes every ongoing success to Healthy and Active for the future.

98Cost of applying for indefinite leave under the bereaved partner concession

Tabled: 22/11/23 Signatories: 5

Stuart C McDonald

Steven Bonnar

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Claire Hanna

Patrick Grady

That this House supports the Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London’s call for a fee waiver to be introduced for grieving widows applying for indefinite leave to remain under the bereaved partner concession; notes that the death of a loved one brings multiple emotional, practical and financial costs; acknowledges that people whose leave to remain in the UK is tied to a partner who dies are in a particularly vulnerable situation; regrets that the spouses of deceased partners are now required to pay £2,885 for the concession despite the application costing just £491 for the government to process; further notes that people who cannot afford this fee may be forced to leave the UK or face detention and removal after the death of their partner; notes that the lack of a fee waiver for the concession discriminates against women who constitute almost 70 per cent of those on family visas; believes it is irrational for the government to introduce a concession in recognition of these applicants’ vulnerability but first insist on payment of a fee that people cannot afford; and calls for a fee waiver to be introduced.

99Joan Jara

Tabled: 22/11/23 Signatories: 7

Jeremy Corbyn

John McDonnell

Zarah Sultana

Apsana Begum

Richard Burgon

Beth Winter

This House notes with sadness the recent passing of Joan Jara in Santiago; acknowledges that she was the widow of the late Victor Jara who brought so much joy to the people of Chile and who inspired the election of Salvador Allende in 1970 until his murder in the 1973 coup; recalls that Joan lived in exile in Britain throughout the worst of the Pinochet years and on her return to Chile contributed to the musical and artistic scene; commends her determination to keep hope and popular unity alive; and deeply regrets her passing.