Contents

Published: Tuesday 30 January 2024

Early Day Motions tabled on Monday 29 January 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

333Retirement of Northern Ireland and Rangers footballer Steven Davis

Tabled: 29/01/24 Signatories: 1

Mr Gregory Campbell

That this House notes the announcement of Steven Davis to retire from playing professional football; acknowledges the outstanding achievements of Steven, who at 39 years old holds the UK men's international caps record with 140 appearances for Northern Ireland as well as 742 club appearances for top flight clubs in England and Scotland, having played for his beloved Glasgow Rangers in two separate spells using the term, it's such a special football club, in his retirement statement; and wishes him and his family every blessing and good wish as he decides on his post playing career.

334High Income Child Benefit Charge

Tabled: 29/01/24 Signatories: 1

Douglas Chapman

That this House expresses deep concern that the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) continues to create unfairness and anomalies such as discriminating against a family with one earner who earns in excess of £50,000 compared with a family whose joint earnings may exceed the £50,000 threshold; remains concerned that it has not been increased to reflect pay inflation from 2013 and discourages claims to child benefit through the need for higher earners to undertake a self-assessment tax return and potentially negatively impacts on National Insurance Contributions; and calls on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to review the HICBC at the first opportunity with a view to removing the anomalies or make arrangements to devolve responsibility and related funding for Child Benefit to the Scottish and Welsh governments and the Northern Ireland administration.

335Royal Welsh Agricultural Society's 120th anniversary

Tabled: 29/01/24 Signatories: 1

Liz Saville Roberts

That this House celebrates the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s 120th anniversary; further celebrates the Society’s work in showcasing and promoting Welsh farming and agriculture and highlighting the important contribution it makes economically, culturally and environmentally to both Wales and the rest of the UK; notes the Society’s work involves hosting various annual shows including the Royal Welsh Show which is Europe’s largest agricultural show; and looks forward to the upcoming calendar year of events to mark the Society’s 120th anniversary.

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.

284Journalists in Gaza

Tabled: 16/01/24 Signatories: 41

Grahame Morris

John McDonnell

Claire Hanna

Chris Stephens

Liz Saville Roberts

Jeremy Corbyn

That this House is profoundly shocked and saddened by the deaths of over 85 journalists and other media workers in Gaza since the Hamas attacks of October 7, with many more critically injured, missing or in detention without trial; believes that journalists in Gaza are the only ones standing between the truth and a total media blackout and that, without their work, the world would not bear witness to these atrocities; is alarmed by reports from the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and the International Federation of Journalists that a further 80 press and media institutions were targeted by Israeli bombing, being totally or partially destroyed in Gaza; calls on the Government to urge the Israeli authorities to desist from targeting journalists or media organisations in these deadly attacks and accept the need to help de-escalate the cycle of violence which has resulted in the mass slaughter of civilians and a humanitarian catastrophe.

288Deaths of journalists in Gaza

Tabled: 16/01/24 Signatories: 27

John McDonnell

Mary Kelly Foy

Jonathan Edwards

Claire Hanna

Tahir Ali

Jeremy Corbyn

That this House expressers its extreme concern at the mounting and unprecedented death toll of journalists in Gaza; notes that the independent Committee to Protect Journalists has recorded the death of 82 journalists in this conflict since October 2023; welcomes the support provided by the National Union of Journalists for the efforts of the International Federation of Journalists to promote the safety of journalists; and urges the International Criminal Court to expedite its investigation into the evidence submitted of the systematic targeted attacks on journalists by Israeli forces.

291Classification and regulation of NHS medical associate roles and patient safety

Tabled: 17/01/24 Signatories: 16

Claudia Webbe

Jeremy Corbyn

John McDonnell

Mohammad Yasin

Richard Thomson

Kate Osborne

That this House believes that the renaming of NHS medical assistant roles to physician associate and anaesthesia associate is confusing the public by blurring the clear distinction between doctors and other professionals who do not have medical qualifications and training; believes that this misleads the public and notes with regret the case of Emily Chesterton, whom the coroner ruled should have been sent to hospital for emergency admission but was misdiagnosed by the same physician associate on both occasions and treated for a calf sprain; agrees that the planned regulation of these non-medical roles by the General Medical Council adds to this potentially dangerous confusion; notes that nine out of 10 doctors in a recent survey believe that the increased scope and number of these roles is dangerous to patients and highly misleading; further notes that the Royal College of GPs has opposed the Government’s planned expansion of these associate roles; calls on the Government to revert the titles of these roles immediately to their previous titles of Physician Assistant and Anaesthesia Assistant to ensure the safety of patients and the proper functioning of the NHS and to regulate them through the Health and Care Professions Council, as the British Medical Association has recommended; and further calls on the Government to ensure that the NHS Workforce Plan must fill physician roles with fully-qualified physicians, maintaining a clear distinction between medically-qualified roles and other roles.

297Pastel bakery, Midlothian

Tabled: 17/01/24 Signatories: 7

Owen Thompson

Chris Law

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

Allan Dorans

Chris Stephens

That this House congratulates Pastel bakery in Newtongrange, Midlothian, for their recent successes at the prestigious World Championship Scotch Pie Awards; recognises their gold award for their chicken and chorizo pie and silver for their steak pie; acknowledges how this is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to the dedication, creativity and hard work put into their bakery; applauds the bakery’s commitment to excellence, combined with an innovative approach and attention to quality; further acknowledges how this award is a well-deserved recognition of the Pastel’s team’s efforts and the exceptional experiences they provide to customers; and wishes Pastel continued success and acclaim in the future.

308Right to Buy (No. 2)

Tabled: 22/01/24 Signatories: 12

Caroline Lucas

Jonathan Edwards

Rachael Maskell

Beth Winter

Chris Stephens

Lloyd Russell-Moyle

That this House notes that around 2 million council homes in England have been sold off to private individuals well below market value since the inception of the Right to Buy in 1980; further notes these homes were built using public money to create an essential collective asset fundamental to the post World War Two settlement; believes Right to Buy has been abused by property speculators and has decimated precious social housing stock as successive governments failed to replace the social homes being lost; supports the 2022 UK Housing Review conclusion that Right to Buy was a strategic failure; is concerned that the state is now giving billions in housing benefit to private landlords that should be invested in building new council housing; recognises the link between Right to Buy and the harmful commodification of housing, housing inequality and shortages for people on low incomes, the current homelessness crisis and record rates of children living in temporary accommodation; further believes that council housing needs to be provided and safeguarded for the housing needs and wellbeing of current and future generations; welcomes the abolition of Right to Buy in Scotland and Wales; and calls on the Government to protect and strengthen social housing by following suit in England, starting with an immediate suspension of all discounts, at the same time as investing in an ambitious programme to build new council homes.

314World Lewy Body Day

Tabled: 23/01/24 Signatories: 8

Conor McGinn

Jim Shannon

Jonathan Edwards

Kim Johnson

Patricia Gibson

Chris Stephens

That this House notes that Lewy body dementia is the second most common type of neurodegenerative dementia in older people and at least 10 to 15% of all people who live with dementia have Lewy body dementia; acknowledges that The Lewy Body Society is the only charity in the UK, and was the first in Europe, dedicated exclusively to Lewy body dementia; further notes that 28 January 2024 marks the first ever World Lewy Body Day; and congratulates those from across the globe on this achievement and the efforts of the co-ordinators to promote research and raise awareness of the condition.

316Poverty in the UK

Tabled: 24/01/24 Signatories: 4

Jon Trickett

Mary Kelly Foy

Caroline Lucas

Jonathan Edwards

That this House notes with utter dismay the recent increase in poverty across Britain and the findings of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report entitled UK Poverty 2024 that 22% or 14.4 million people in the UK were in poverty in 2021-22, of which 4.2 million were children and 2.1 million were pensioners; further notes the findings of that report that 64% of working-age adults in poverty lived in a household where at least one adult was in work; highlights the regional dimension to poverty with the highest rate of 27% in the West Midlands, followed by 25% in the North East and London and 23% in Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands and the North West; raises concerns that children are most at risk of poverty, especially those in larger families; notes that it has been 20 years since poverty in the UK fell; urgently calls on the Government to make tackling poverty a priority; and demands transformative economic change.

317Support for families of British Palestinians

Tabled: 24/01/24 Signatories: 15

Drew Hendry

Deidre Brock

Pete Wishart

Anne McLaughlin

Patrick Grady

Chris Law

That this House absolutely condemns the ongoing conflict in Gaza; further condemns the futile and tragic loss of life and the impact on all Palestinians; notes with specific concern the situation of Salim Ghayyda’s 40 immediate family members who have been forced to abandon their homes in Gaza City and move to a tent city in Rafah with limited access to basic necessities including food, water and sanitation; and urges the UK Government to take immediate action and create safe, viable routes for the family of British Palestinians to evacuate and seek safety in the UK.

318Postural Tachycardia Syndrome awareness

Tabled: 24/01/24 Signatories: 2

Cat Smith

Jonathan Edwards

That this House notes that Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) is an autonomic nervous system abnormality where sitting, standing and exercise can cause symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain, brain fog, dizziness, pain, fainting, vomiting and fatigue; recognises that many people suffer a combination of symptoms, which can be chronic and debilitating, in some cases, leaving people bed ridden; further notes that while there is currently no cure for PoTS, studies indicate that 90% of people with a diagnosis of PoTS have improved or managed symptoms due to medically guided treatments and lifestyle changes but awareness of the condition is still low which may explain why the average time from first presentation of symptoms to diagnosis is seven years; and recognises the need to both raise awareness of the condition amongst medical professionals, and increase the support offered to those who suffer from PoTS.

320Holocaust Memorial Day 2024

Tabled: 25/01/24 Signatories: 9

Christine Jardine

Mary Kelly Foy

Wendy Chamberlain

Helen Morgan

Munira Wilson

Sarah Dyke

That this House marks Holocaust Memorial Day, occurring on 27th January 2024; acknowledges that the date coincides with the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp; commemorates every victim of Nazi persecution, including the 6 million Jewish people who were murdered during the Holocaust; remembers the victims of the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur; notes this year’s theme of the ‘Fragility of Freedom’, which brings into focus that our freedom should never be taken for granted; commends the work of organisations like the Holocaust Educational Trust and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust in raising awareness of the horrors of genocide; further notes with concern the record highs of antisemitism in the UK and around the world; supports the Community Security Trust in their efforts to tackle antisemitism and to protect the Jewish community; welcomes the creation of a permanent National Holocaust Memorial in central London; acknowledges that prejudice and hatred persists in the UK today, including a disturbing rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia, and we all must work together to stamp it out; and calls on all Members of the House to work together to ensure that the horrors of the Holocaust are always understood and never repeated.

321Children's Mental Health Week 2024

Tabled: 25/01/24 Signatories: 8

Munira Wilson

Mary Kelly Foy

Wendy Chamberlain

Sarah Dyke

Gavin Robinson

Jamie Stone

That this House commemorates Children's Mental Health Week 2024 which runs from 5 to 11 February; notes with concern that one in five children between the ages of seven and sixteen have a probable mental health disorder; acknowledges the negative impacts that poor mental health can have on children's present and future wellbeing; further acknowledges the impact poor mental health is having on persistent absence in schools; recognises that this year's theme is My Voice Matters reflecting the importance of listening to children and young people; and further recognises the urgent need to provide early intervention and universal mental health support to children and young people.

323Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem

Tabled: 26/01/24 Signatories: 4

Chris Law

Jon Trickett

Dr Philippa Whitford

Chris Stephens

That this House is deeply alarmed by the attempted take-over of the Cows’ Garden in the Armenian Quarter of occupied Jerusalem by illegal Israeli settler organisations; notes that, despite the cancellation of a lease agreement, Israeli settlers have used violence, threats and bulldozers against the Armenians at this site; recognises that settlements in the Old City of Jerusalem are a method of permanent land acquisition and theft of territory, and needs the same robust international response as elsewhere in occupied Palestinian territory; acknowledges the severe and critical threat to the Armenian community of Jerusalem, which has had a presence in the Old City for almost two millennia; further recognises that the destruction within the Cows’ Garden in the Armenian Quarter wounds the local fabric and relations between communities; highlights the particular vulnerability of the small yet vibrant Armenian community of Jerusalem; and calls on the Government to take effective measures in response including supporting all legal and accountability mechanisms to resolve this crisis.

324Michael Dunlop

Tabled: 26/01/24 Signatories: 2

Ian Paisley

Sir Mike Penning

That this House congratulates Michael Dunlop winning the King Of The Roads racing award at the Irish motorbike awards ceremony in Belfast; further congratulates Michael on his victories in a record number of road racing championships and as holder of one of the highest number of victories in the Isle of Man TT races; and wishes him continued success.

326Miners’ Strike 1984: The Battle For Britain documentary series

Tabled: 26/01/24 Signatories: 19

Owen Thompson

Jon Trickett

Drew Hendry

Alison Thewliss

Richard Thomson

Kirsten Oswald

That this House applauds the Miners’ Strike 1984: The Battle For Britain documentary series for shining a much needed light on events that irrevocably changed our country; thanks Channel 4 and Swan Films for their continued commitment to hard-hitting factual programmes; commends the miners and their families for taking part in the programme to share their traumatic experiences; acknowledges the massive impact of the strikes and the repression of the time on the social fabric of Midlothian, Scotland and other communities across the UK; further acknowledges that this legacy continues to the present day, with former mining communities suffering unacceptable levels of deprivation including unemployment, ill health and social disadvantage; and calls for justice, a pardon and compensation for all miners and their families.

327Health workers in Gaza and the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize

Tabled: 26/01/24 Signatories: 23

Richard Burgon

Caroline Lucas

Liz Saville Roberts

Claire Hanna

Chris Stephens

Stephen Farry

That this House congratulates the more than 250,000 people who have signed a petition to support the nomination of health care workers in Gaza for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize; believes that health workers in Gaza have sought to save lives in the most difficult of circumstances and mourns the loss of the more than 300 health workers so far killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza; notes that the prize can be awarded to an organisation as well as up to three individuals; and encourages as many of those as possible who qualify to nominate for the Nobel Peace Prize, including parliamentarians, government ministers, professors and members of the Institute of International Law to do so ahead of the 31 January deadline.

328Nicholas Allan and WordSkills UK Medal

Tabled: 26/01/24 Signatories: 3

Marion Fellows

Dr Philippa Whitford

Chris Stephens

That this House congratulates Nicholas Allan on his silver medal at the WorldSkills UK National Competition this past November in Manchester; recognises Nicholas’ impressive and innovative fire detection and alarm system; wishes Team UK great success at WorldSkills Lyon 2024; further recognises the value of benchmarking UK skills through international skills competitions; supports the work of WorldSkills UK to raise standards and participation in apprenticeships and technical education; and notes the importance of world-class skills to young people, employers and the UK economy.

32970th Anniversary of St Mirin's Primary School

Tabled: 26/01/24 Signatories: 4

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Carol Monaghan

Dr Philippa Whitford

Chris Stephens

That this House congratulates St Mirin's Primary School on reaching its 70th anniversary; recognises the dedication and commitment of the school staff, past and present, for their tireless efforts in; acknowledges the pivotal role St Mirin's Primary School has played in fostering a strong sense of community and promoting educational excellence in Glasgow South over the past seven decades; celebrates the countless achievements and accomplishments of the school's students, both academically and in their contributions to society; wishes St Mirin's Primary School continued success and growth for the future.

330National Supported Internship Day 2024

Tabled: 26/01/24 Signatories: 3

Marion Fellows

Dr Philippa Whitford

Chris Stephens

That this House recognises 27 March 2024 as National Supported Internship Day, which is an initiative founded by charity DFN Project SEARCH to raise awareness and understanding of supported internships; acknowledges that supported internships are for those aged 16-24 and give young adults the opportunity to learn in a workplace setting; further acknowledges that these internships include continuous feedback and enable young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to learn while gaining real employability and competitive work skills; further recognises the work of Wishaw General Hospital in providing excellent internship opportunities; applauds charities such as NDTI and Base for their efforts in strengthening high quality supported internship provision across the UK; and urges colleagues across to house to visit their local supported internship site and advocate for further provision in an effort to reduce the disability employment gap nationally.

331Appeal of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine for humanitarian and military aid

Tabled: 26/01/24 Signatories: 2

John McDonnell

Chris Stephens

That this House expresses its support for the appeal of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine to the Trade Unions, Parliaments, and Governments of democratic countries, which notes the new year in Ukraine began with horrific massive Russian missile attacks on the cities of Ukraine, that every day, residents of peaceful cities die and are injured at the hands of Russia, that Ukrainians are forced to live and work in a state of permanent stress and anxiety and that Ukrainians are paying a high price for freedom and peace in Europe; notes that the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine, as the voice of Ukrainian workers, draws attention to the need to take decisive measures to protect Ukraine and appeals to the international community to speed up the provision of military aid to Ukraine, to continue providing economic and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, to strengthen sanctions against the terrorist regime of Russia, that can significantly limit the financial resources and export of technology necessary for the continuation of the war, to ensure the possibility of using frozen Russian assets to direct them to help Ukraine, and to isolate and remove from work in international organisations Russian political, public, and trade union figures, as representatives of a country that carries out terrorist activities against Ukraine and its citizens; and recognises that joint efforts will help stop Russian aggression, which is not only destroying Ukraine, but also undermining economic, energy, ecological, and food stability in Europe.

332English National Opera

Tabled: 26/01/24 Signatories: 11

John McDonnell

Kim Johnson

Claire Hanna

Mary Kelly Foy

Caroline Lucas

Rachael Maskell

That this House expresses its dismay at reports that the English National Opera management is proposing to cut the salaries of its opera workforce by as much as 40%; notes that the previous joint campaigning by the workforce, the trade union Equity, and the English National Opera had culminated in the opera company receiving an additional grant from Arts Council England of £24m in April 2023, to fund its new activity across London and Manchester; welcomes efforts to deliver opera in both cities; highlights the devastating impact that proposals to dramatically cut the terms and conditions of the workforce will have for the quality of opera provision, the workforce, audiences, and local economic benefit in both places; and urgently calls on the English National Opera and Arts Council England to withdraw these plans and work with the appropriate trade unions to ensure that the workforce does not suffer detriment as a result of the move.