Early Day Motions

Reinstatement of the Access to Elected Office Fund

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

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

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

Age Scotland’s 80th Anniversary

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 wellbei

Sail Training Shetland

That this House congratulates Sail Training Shetland for earning the Sail Training Organisation of the Year Small Vessel prize from Sail Training International at its annual conference; recognises that the local charity has supported more than 500 young people since 2009; and expresses gratitude to

Alternatives to affordability checks for gambling

That this House welcomes the proposal for an app entitled Bettor Help by the Gamblers Consumer Forum which would offer an alternative to affordability checks and a clinical-based solution towards tackling gambling harm; notes there is no body of evidence that suggests that intrusive affordability ch

Puppy smuggling

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 disap

125th anniversary of the University of East London

That this House congratulates the University of East London on its 125th anniversary; recognises its invaluable contribution to social justice through education, skills training and enterprise in East London and around the world; commends its commitment to championing equity, diversity and inclusion

Ulster Scots Language Week 2023

That this House notes that Ulster Scots Language Week takes place on 20 to 25 November 2023; commends all those involved in the many events organised for the week, including creative writing workshops, heritage, poetry classes, storytelling, song and dance, film and faith based events and many other

40th anniversary of the killings at Darkley

That this House remembers the Darkley massacre of 20 November 1983, in which three Republican gunmen attacked worshippers at the Mountain Lodge Pentecostal Church, murdering three members; expresses its sorrow at the loss of life of Harold Brown, Victor Cunningham, and David Wilson in what was a bla

70th anniversary of the Edenderry Memorial Methodist Girls' Brigade

That this House congratulates Edenderry Memorial Methodist Girls' Brigade on reaching its 70th anniversary; recognises the positive role played by the Girls' Brigade in our community; thanks all those who have volunteered to lead and support Edenderry Memorial Methodist Girls' Brigade over its 70 ye

40th anniversary of the killings at Darkley Gospel Hall

That this House notes with deep sadness the 40th anniversary of the massacre at Darkley Gospel Hall which took place as families with children and babies who had gathered to worship on 20 November 1983 were shot at with over 70 bullets that killed three men and injured others; extends sincere sympat

10th anniversary of Hillmount Bangor

That this House notes the 10th anniversary of the Hillmount Store in Bangor, which opened in October 2013; further notes that Hillmount is a fourth-generation family-owned business that was first started over 80 years ago and has grown into a well-established business with three stores in Northern I

Sanctions imposed on Everton Football Club

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 ha

Local Housing Allowance and housing supply

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 Allowanc

Ethnicity data collection for business owners

That this House believes that entrepreneurs of all ethnic backgrounds should have equal access to finance; recognises the recommendation of the Office for National Statistics that the introduction of a national system of data collection on the ethnicity of business owners would be an important step

Safe access zones

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

Hearings on the return of African artefacts and ancestral remains

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

Review of the charity lottery annual sales cap

That this House acknowledges the incredible amount of money raised by charity lotteries in the UK, including Scottish-based People’s Postcode Lottery, whose players have raised a phenomenal £1.2 billion for good causes across the country; notes that the demand for funding from charities has greatly

Council budgets and audits

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 in

Documents relating to meetings between the Prime Minister and Rt hon Member for Fareham in October 2022

That there be laid before this House a return of the following documents: (a) the minutes from any meetings between the Prime Minister and the Rt hon Member for Fareham in October 2022 relating to the conditions under which the Rt hon Member for Fareham would take up the office of Home Secretary; a

50th anniversary of Dickens on The Strand Celebration

That this House congratulates the Galveston Historical Foundation in Texas on the 50th anniversary of the annual Dickens on The Strand celebration from 1 to 3 December 2023; welcomes the expected 50,000 visitors to the festival which celebrates the life and work of Charles Dickens who spent many yea

Sewage discharges

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 su

Scottish Gymnastics lifetime achievement award

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 th

Litter on motorways

That this House deplores the huge amount of litter on motorways, access road, junctions and verges; notes that there is a crystal clear legal obligation on National Highways to ensure roads are kept clear of litter; and calls on National Highways to act on this obligation, use motorway gantries to p

VAT on audiobooks

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 op