Early Day Motions

VAT on facemasks and other personal protective equipment

That this House notes that the Treasury has ended VAT exemptions for face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE); is concerned that increasing the price of masks and other PPE will discourage people from buying and wearing PPE in line with Government guidance; and urges the Government t

Dan Mihalache Romanian Ambassador to the United Kingdom

That this House pays thanks to Ambassador Dan Mihalache for his service as Romanian Ambassador to the United Kingdom; commends his strong role in improving the relationship, across all nations of the UK and between the UK and Romania; notes his passionate commitment to, and the valuable contribution

Advertising-funded media tax credit

That this House recognises the importance of commercial radio stations; commends the hard work of those radio stations during the covid-19 pandemic, not only as a reliable source of local news, but also to provide a friendly voice to many people living alone; acknowledges the financial difficulty th

Inflammatory bowel disease

That this House notes the current challenges facing the 300,000 patients across the UK with inflammatory bowel disease; further notes that inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic and debilitating disease which can have a significant impact on the physical and mental well-being of patients and can al

Potential merits of a minimum wage floor in the furlough scheme

That this House notes with deep concern recent data from the Office for National Statistics showing that over 2 million workers have been paid less than the National Minimum Wage this year; further notes that this is a near five-fold increase on 2019; believes that it is unacceptable that anybody is

Sports chaplain Steve Nash

That this House commends sports chaplain Steve Nash on his sterling work to provide wellbeing and mental health support to his local football team, Newtongrange Star; notes that Steve, a volunteer with wellbeing charity Thistle, has been drawing on his own experiences as he looks to support players

Ageing Well Midlothian voluntary group

That this House congratulates Ageing Well Midlothian on winning the Health Walk Group of the Year at the 2020 Paths for All Volunteer Awards; understands that the group organises 15 walks each week and hosts an annual walk each year attracting people in the hundreds; further congratulates Ageing Wel

Disability Discrimination Act 1995

That this House notes that 25 years ago, on 8 November 1995, the Disability Discrimination Act received Royal Assent; recalls that this landmark piece of legislation was the result of a hard-fought campaign by disabled people, with up to 100,000 disabled activists taking part in direct action, campa

Campaign for a real living wage

That this House welcomes Living Wage Week and the PCS Union campaign for a real living wage for their members working on outsourced Government facilities management contracts; applauds these front line key workers who have continued to work throughout the pandemic making workplaces safe and secure d

Midlothian winners of Scotland Loves Local High Street Heroes awards

That this House congratulates those Midlothian businesses that have been awarded in this year’s Scotland Loves Local High Street Heroes Awards; notes that these awards seek to recognise and honour those local businesses who have supported their communities and provided essential services during the

Free school meal vouchers during the covid-19 pandemic

That this House expresses dismay at the decision by the Government not to extend free school meals to eligible children during school holidays during the covid-19 outbreak; notes that the proposed second lockdown will plunge more families into poverty; notes that such a decision places over 11,000 c

Robert Fisk

That this House pays tribute to the contribution of renowned foreign correspondent, Robert Fisk following his death on 30 October 2020; notes that Mr Fisk began his career with the Sunday Express before working for the Times and finishing his career with the Independent; further notes that Mr Fisk r

Falkland Islands mine-free declaration

That this House recognises the Falkland Islands will officially be declared mine-free on November 14 2020, fulfilling the UK's commitment of its clearance obligation under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention; notes that with this declaration the entire UK and her Overseas Territories will be mine

Duty and tax-free shopping

That this House notes the recent Government consultation on the continuation of duty and tax-free shopping for visitors from outside the EU, including the published summary of responses which indicated a majority of respondents supported the continuation of the VAT Retail Export Scheme (VAT RES) and

Support for hostels

That this House notes that hostels have been hit particularly hard by the covid-19 outbreak; further notes that shared spaces, such as bathrooms and kitchens, are often part of a hostel's business model and that this has made operating at full capacity, and even reopening, difficult for many while o

Mr Alun Wyn Jones - most capped international rugby player in the world

This House congratulates Welsh national Rugby Union captain Alun Wyn Jones on becoming the most capped international rugby union player in the world; notes that Alun Wyn Jones reached an incredible 149 International caps on October 31 2020 during Wales v Scotland, overtaking former New Zealand capta

Places of worship

That this House recognises the considerable role played by places of worship of all faiths in providing support to communities and individuals; is deeply concerned at the impact on mental health and personal wellbeing, especially on the the elderly, of the closure of places of worship during the per

High Street Heroes Awards

That this house congratulates all those in the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency who have been honoured in the High Street Heroes Awards for the ways that they have helped their communities during the recent covid-19 outbreak; recognises that the Crafty Wee Birdie in Nairn, The

Celebrating Fifth Annual Ayurveda Day on Friday 13 November 2020

That this House celebrates the Fifth Annual Ayurveda Day on 13 November 2020, first celebrated by the Government of India in 2016; notes that in the midst of an international health crisis, Ayurveda, the science (Veda) of life (Ayus), offers a time-tested tradition of holistic and multi-faceted appr

Universal Basic Income pilots

That this House acknowledges that the current system of social security provision in the UK is not sufficient to provide financial security nor protect public health during the covid-19 outbreak; asserts that the provision of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) would establish a targeted system with no g

Elections for the Shura Advisory Council

That this House welcomes the announcement by His Highness Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of Qatar, that the country will hold elections for its Shura Advisory Council next October; recognises that these elections are an important step, as they will allow Qatari citizens to elect Shura Council

2020 Great Taste Gold Fork award winners

That this House congratulates Tayport Distillery on winning the 2020 Great Taste Golden Fork Scotland award for its 1992 Raspberry Liqueur; notes that this prestigious prize is awarded to the best tasting product in Scotland; highlights that this award was achieved after the liqueur demonstrated its

Letham Primary School fundraising success

That this House congratulates primary 1-4 class at Letham Primary School who raised £600 for Mountain Rescue Teams; praises the 18 pupils who took part in a fundraising hill walk; notes that the children ably succeeded in completing the very hilly walk; thanks the teachers and parents for assisting

Tao Geoghegan Hart winner of the 2020 Giro D'Italia

That this House warmly congratulates Tao Geoghegan Hart from London and Team Ineos Grenadier on winning the 2020 Giro D'Italia; notes that Mr Geoghegan Hart becomes only the fifth UK cyclist to win a Grand Tour following in the footsteps of Sir Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Simon Yates and Geraint

Lewis Hamilton's 92 Formula 1 victories

That this House congratulates Lewis Hamilton on winning his 92nd F1 Grand Prix in Portugal on 25 October 2020, thereby overtaking Michael Schumacher as the most successful driver of all time.