Published: Tuesday 14 May 2024

New EDMs

741Shap Post Office

Tabled: 13/05/24 Signatories: 1

Tim Farron

That this House celebrates the long-awaited reopening of the Post Office in Shap; recognises the importance of post offices as community hubs, providing access to communication, banking and other vital services; notes the particular need for such services for those with restricted access, such as older or more rural populations with little connectivity in places like Cumbria; also notes that Post Office services help to address the particular risks of loneliness and isolation for these groups; regrets that the provision of these essential services to the community in Shap were prevented as a result of unnecessarily prolonged administrative issues; commends the patience and perseverance of those campaigning and working towards its reopening, particularly Cheryl Benson; encourages the Government to provide proactive support to current and potential postmasters in maintaining and expanding the vital Post Office network in Cumbria’s communities and across the country; especially hopes for similar progress to be made in the reopening of Hawkshead Post Office and finding a new site for a Post Office in Staveley; highlights the need for communities in Cumbria to have more control over second-home ownership to ensure post offices can be consistently sustained by frequent use; and calls for continued action to ensure that the Post Office fairly compensates all those who experienced the injustice of the Horizon scandal and that victims' convictions are overturned.

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742Funding to restore the historic Mavisbank building

Tabled: 13/05/24 Signatories: 1

Owen Thompson

This this House welcomes the £5.3 million from the National Heritage Memorial Fund to restore the historic building of Mavisbank in Loanhead, Midlothian; congratulates the campaigners who have strived for more than 50 years to save this 18th century building, the Landmark Trust has worked with Midlothian Council, Historic Environment Scotland, the Mavisbank bank Trust and other to identify a viable solution for this property; and notes Mavisbank was built in 1723, in a pioneering neo-Classical style which William Adam’s son Robert Adam and others would develop for Edinburgh’s New Town a generation later, set in 70 acres with a walled garden, canal and Palladian influences, it would become a blueprint for countless other country villas across the country, in the 19th century Mavisbank became a ground-breaking hospital where reforming Doctor John Batty Tuke developed compassionate approaches to mental illness, including through exercise and gardening, Mavisbank House is a building of outstanding importance to Scottish and UK national heritage and this funding will enable the Landmark Trust to acquire Mavisbank House and safeguard the historic fabric of the Category A building, laying the foundations for a sustainable and brighter future.

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743Energy transition treaty

Tabled: 13/05/24 Signatories: 6

Clive Lewis

Caroline Lucas

Olivia Blake

Hywel Williams

Claire Hanna

Colum Eastwood

That this House notes that 12 national governments, including nine Pacific Island States, are calling for countries around the world to back their proposal for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to negotiate a fast, fair and well-managed energy transition; recognises that Pacific Island States are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise from climate change, that these countries’ populations are at risk of mass displacement and other human rights violations due to the ensuing climate crisis and that the UK has a responsibility to stand with them and act fast to avert this; understands that multilateral action is vital to managing an equitable transition from fossil fuels, which was agreed by all parties at COP28, with the urgency required given the scale of the climate crisis and the escalating threats it poses to human rights; acknowledges the need to take domestic action for a fair phase-out of fossil fuels—for example legislating for a ban on new coal mines—to ensure the phase-out process begins as soon as possible so that workers in the UK and globally are supported into new sustainable industries and the UK to realise the benefits of domestically produced renewable energy as soon as possible; and recommends that the UK Government endorses the proposal for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty as a way to manage the energy transition quickly and fairly.

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74419th Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony

Tabled: 13/05/24 Signatories: 1

Wera Hobhouse

That this House joins in commemorating the 19th annual Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony, held on Yom HaZikaron—Memorial Day—in Israel, beginning on the evening of 12 May 2024; pays tribute to all Israelis and Palestinians who grieve together and stand united in their demand for an end to bloodshed between both peoples; recognises that the lives of everyone connected to Israel and Palestine will never be the same as a result of the devastating events of 7 October 2023 in Israel and what has followed afterwards in Gaza; supports the work of Combatants for Peace and the Parents Circle-Families Forum in bringing Israelis and Palestinians together; believes that their mission of transforming despair into hope and building compassion around ideals of shared humanity, justice and equality provides a pathway to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; further supports all grassroots efforts to build a shared future and a political solution that brings freedom, justice and safety for all; agrees that occupation, oppression, and conflict are not inevitable; and calls on the Government to fully support, through all relevant financial and political means, all such joint Israeli-Palestinian initiatives that promote peace, justice and a shared future for Israelis and Palestinians.

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745World Inflammatory Bowel Disease Day 2024

Tabled: 13/05/24 Signatories: 1

Sarah Green [R]

That this House notes that Crohn's and colitis are serious chronic diseases where your immune system affects the gut, affecting over 500,000 people in the UK; recognises that stigma, myths, and misunderstandings means thousands of people with these conditions are suffering in silence; acknowledges that World Inflammatory Bowel Disease Day on 19 May is an opportunity to raise awareness of these conditions; commends the work of Crohn’s & Colitis UK in supporting people living with IBD; and encourages hon. Members to support them in raising awareness of Crohn's and Colitis amongst the public and healthcare professionals.

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746Arms sales to Israel

Tabled: 13/05/24 Signatories: 1

George Galloway

That this House notes clearly established international law which prohibits intentionally or recklessly attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure; further notes that British arms sold to Israel are potentially being used to commit such serious violations of international law; condemns the killing of tens of thousands of people by Israel, and the forced displacement, starvation and deprivation upon more than 2 million people; therefore calls for an immediate suspension of arms licences and arms exports to the government of Israel; and further calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

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747School funding

Tabled: 13/05/24 Signatories: 1

George Galloway

That this House notes with regret the cuts across the country in real-terms to school funding since 2010, including in Rochdale where schools have had a real-terms cut in funding of £18.9m since 2010, equivalent to £548 per pupil in Rochdale; and calls on the Government to reverse these cuts without delay, and support the campaign to improve funding in schools led by the National Education Union, ASCL, NAHT, ParentKind and NGA.

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748Day for Mourning and Solidarity with Gaza

Tabled: 13/05/24 Signatories: 1

George Galloway

That this House notes the global Day for Mourning and Solidarity with Gaza held on 14 May 2024 organised by Experts House; expresses its solidarity with those standing up against the ongoing genocide in Gaza; and condemns the suffering endured by the people of Gaza, and the unprecedented growing death toll among civilians, including women and children, as well as humanitarian workers, healthcare and medical staff, journalists and media workers.

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749Scrutiny of the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and arms exports to Israel

Tabled: 13/05/24 Signatories: 2

Mick Whitley

George Galloway

That this House expresses its deep concerns regarding the Israeli offensive on Rafah, which it believes will seriously worsen what is already one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises; reiterates its calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire; further expresses its frustration at the Government’s continued refusal to suspend arms exports to Israel; echoes the warnings issued by Lady Hale and over six hundred distinguished members of the legal profession in their correspondence to the Prime Minister of 3 April 2024 that the provision of military assistance and material to Israel may render the UK complicit in genocide as well as in serious breaches of International Humanitarian Law; notes that, as a result of his not having a seat in the House of Commons, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has been unable to participate in departmental questions in the House and that Members have been restricted in their ability to scrutinise his work and that of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, particularly in relation to arms licences to Israel; believes that the moral imperative of ending arms exports to Israel is now so great as to warrant the House taking exceptional measures; and therefore calls on the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs to work with the Speaker to make necessary preparations for the Secretary of State to answer questions on this and other matters from hon. Members from the Bar of the House of Commons as soon as possible.

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750St Leonard’s Catholic School, City of Durham (No. 2)

Tabled: 13/05/24 Signatories: 2

Mary Kelly Foy

George Galloway

That this House notes with great concern that the Department for Education has still not offered mitigating circumstances for the pupils of St Leonard’s Catholic School in City of Durham constituency despite the disruption to their education caused by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete; notes that a parliamentary petition, signed by thousands of concerned constituents, has called on the Department for Education to implement mitigating circumstances for St Leonard’s pupils; condemns the Department’s complacency and indifference to the St Leonard’s community; and pays tribute to the determination and resilience of parents, pupils and teachers of St Leonard’s in light of this clear injustice.

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751Diagnosing Coeliac disease

Tabled: 13/05/24 Signatories: 6

Mrs Sharon Hodgson

Mr Kevan Jones

Ben Lake

John McDonnell

Daisy Cooper

George Galloway

That this House recognises that coeliac disease is a serious autoimmune disease affecting 1 in 100 people; expresses concern that almost two-thirds of people with the condition, equating to almost half a million people in the UK remain undiagnosed, running the risk of long term complications; notes that the average time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis of 13 years is unacceptable and highlights that it is essential that efforts are made to improve awareness of the condition amongst healthcare professionals and the public to recognise the symptoms of the disease and ensure faster diagnosis; notes that there is no national leadership and accountability for coeliac disease within NHS England and calls on the Government to take steps towards reducing the time to diagnosis by installing national accountability and leadership within NHS England for coeliac disease.

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752Llanymddyfri Rugby Club – Clwb Rygbi Llanymddyfri

Tabled: 13/05/24 Signatories: 1

Jonathan Edwards

That this House congratulates Clwb Rygbi Llanymddyfri, Llandovery RFC, on becoming the undisputed best rugby team in Wales after clinching the Indigo Welsh Premiership play-off final following a tightly-contested 14-7 victory against Newport; pays tribute to the players, coaches and Committee of the Club for completing a Triple Crown of triumphs this season, a feat only accomplished by Pontypridd in the 20-year history of the Welsh Premiership's current iteration; applauds the dedication of the supporters throughout the season; with the Drovers edging the league title by a single point in the season proper, winning the Premiership Cup and the Premiership Final; and wishes the Club well as they embark on a new adventure in the Elite Domestic Competition next season.

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.

699Bahrain's sponsorship of the Royal Windsor Horse Show

Tabled: 29/04/24 Signatories: 10

John McDonnell

Kim Johnson

Jeremy Corbyn

Nadia Whittome

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Caroline Lucas

Zarah Sultana

That this House expresses concern at Bahrain’s ongoing sponsorship of the Royal Windsor Horse Show 2024, to which the King of Bahrain and other Bahraini royals are likely to attend, despite Bahrain’s appalling human rights record; notes that even after King Hamad’s royal pardon including over 600 political prisoners on 8 April 2024, more than 550 political prisoners remain imprisoned and subject to egregious human rights violations, including prominent opposition leaders, activists and human rights defenders including Abduljalil Al-Singace, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Abdulwahab Husain and Sheikh Abduljalil Al-Muqdad who have been arbitrarily imprisoned since 2011 for their role in the pro-democracy uprising; raises urgent concern about the deteriorating health of Hassan Mushaima, Bahrain’s oldest political prisoner, age 76, who continues to be denied the urgent medical treatment that he requires; is further concerned that 26 individuals remain on death row at imminent risk of execution, many of whom allege torture including Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa; and therefore calls on the Royal Windsor Horse Show to uphold its own human rights policy adopted in 2021 and prevent the show from being used to sportswash the reputation of the Bahraini regime and use all available leverage to encourage King Hamad to immediately and unconditional release all political prisoners.

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731Dementia Action Week

Tabled: 7/05/24 Signatories: 17

Jim Shannon

Mary Kelly Foy

Christine Jardine

Chris Law

Cat Smith

Patrick Grady

Marion Fellows

That this House notes Dementia Action Week 2024, taking place from 13 to 19 May 2024; highlights that Dementia Action Week is an awareness raising campaign and each year the Alzheimer's Society works with individuals and organisations across the UK to encourage people to act on Dementia; underlines the support offered to those pre and post diagnosis and furthermore the advice offered to help people cope with memory loss and other immediate symptoms; further notes that there are over 900,000 people living with Dementia in the UK and that this is expected to rise sharply in the coming years; thanks charities like the Alzheimer's Society for all the support they provide in relation to this; and also notes that people collectively can continue to do their bit to educate themselves on how best to assist those with Dementia.

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738Public ownership of water

Tabled: 8/05/24 Signatories: 27

Caroline Lucas

Clive Lewis

Rachael Maskell

Mohammad Yasin

George Galloway

Jonathan Edwards

Ben LakeZarah SultanaAlan BrownGraham StringerLloyd Russell-MoyleGrahame MorrisJim ShannonMary Kelly Foy

That this House condemns the mismanagement and underinvestment which led to untreated sewage being discharged into English waterways for more than 3.6 million hours in 2023; notes that water companies in England have incurred debts of more than £64 billion and paid out £78 billion in dividends since they were privatised debt-free in 1989; further notes that water companies paid out £1.4 billion in dividends in 2022, even as 11 of them were fined in the same year for missing performance targets; recognises that climate change is making flooding and droughts more frequent and more severe, necessitating changes to the way we manage our water system in order to build resilience; believes that a Government bailout of Thames Water would send a dangerous signal to other utility companies that reckless decisions carry no private risk; urges Ofwat to reject Thames Water’s request to be allowed to increase bills and limit fines to protect its finances, which would reward mismanagement at the expense of customers and the public; further believes that private for-profit ownership is not an appropriate model for water, as an essential utility where no meaningful competition is possible; calls on the Government to put Thames Water into special administration and to transfer its assets and functions to a publicly-owned company; and further calls for all the English water companies to be brought into public ownership so that our water network can be managed for the benefit of all citizens.

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739Pesticide use in towns and cities

Tabled: 9/05/24 Signatories: 15

Caroline Lucas

Ian Byrne

John McNally

Wera Hobhouse

Liz Saville Roberts

Nadia Whittome

Ben LakeHywel WilliamsJim ShannonRichard Thomson

That this House recognises the harm caused to both human health and the environment by the use of pesticides such as glyphosate in our villages, towns, cities and public spaces; notes that glyphosate was designated as probably carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organisation in 2015, is increasingly being linked to Parkinson’s, and can be toxic to wildlife including bees; further notes that overuse of pesticides in towns and cities is destroying areas that wildlife, including birds, insects, bees and hedgehogs, rely on for food and shelter, and that pesticides run off hard surfaces such as pavements, thereby contaminating water courses and harming aquatic life; commends the more than 100 local authorities across the UK that have either ended their use of pesticides or taken significant steps towards doing so despite limited funds and resources, including by pursuing manual methods such as hand weeding and strimming, new technologies like hot foam and mechanical brushes, and by embracing greener public spaces which benefit both human wellbeing and wildlife; further recognises the importance of ensuring that infrastructure and public spaces remain accessible to all users, including those with accessibility needs; therefore urges local authorities to consult with local disability stakeholders regarding their transition to non-chemical alternatives for weed control; and calls for legislation to be introduced to implement a national phase-out of all pesticide use in public areas under local authority control as has been done in France and Luxembourg.

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740Selina Rashid, Say It with Flowers Award

Tabled: 9/05/24 Signatories: 4

Marion Fellows

Chris Law

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

That this House recognises the achievements and hard work of Selina Rashid who was the recent recipient of Wishaw Press’s Say It with Flowers Award that celebrates those who go above and beyond to help others; congratulates her, along with Abdul and Khalida Rashid, as well as Agnes Ferguson, for running the Post Office and the minimarket convenience store in New Stevenson for over 10 years; further recognises her selfless and generous character that led to being nominated and the recipient of the award; acknowledges her recent going public against the Post Office Network on mystery Horizon shortfalls yet still found time to take care and look after others and the community; and wishes her luck with her new business as a digital creator.