Early Day Motions

VAT on period pants

That this House recognises the work done by WUKA Wear who have worked hard to promote the use of reusable menstrual products; references research carried out by WUKA Wear which found that 4.3 billion menstrual products are used each year, all of which goes to landfill or ends up in the ocean; notes

Census 2021

That this House notes that the ONS England and Wales Census as it appeared in 2011 did not allow for non-white citizens to identify as British; acknowledges that while the formal categories are not intentionally exclusionary, this oversight tells people of colour that they are unable to identify as

Import and production of foie gras

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 ban the import of this so-called delicacy

Livingston cyclist Josh Quigley breaks world record

That this House congratulates Livingston cyclist Josh Quigley for breaking the world record of fastest cycle round the North Coast 500; recognises that his achievement took place just nine months after sustaining life-threatening injuries in a crash; acknowledges that he used the challenge to raise

Clean Air Day 2020

That this House acknowledges Clean Air Day; recognises the danger that polluted air poses to the health of people across the UK; urges the Government to take more decisive and urgent action to mitigate the dangerous levels of air pollution in urban areas, further urges the Government to build partne

Congratulating Prime Minister Ardern on New Zealand’s response to coronavirus

That this House congratulates New Zealand’s Labour Government, led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, on its 7 October 2020 declaration that the country has eliminated local transmission of coronavirus; notes that this comes after there were no new cases for 10 days in Auckland, its largest city, aft

Financial flexibility of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments

That this House notes the joint statement by the respective Finance Ministers of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments on the 6 of October 2020 calling for greater flexibility, fairness and clarity by the UK Government to enable their respective administrations weather the economic, s

Pakistan Protection of Religious Minorities Bill

That this House notes that a Bill calling for the protection of religious minorities in Pakistan was rejected by the Pakistani Senate on Thursday 24 September; regrets that Senators did not take the opportunity presented by the Bill to take action against rising violations of the right to freedom of

National Minimum Wage

That this House notes that the Low Pay Commission (LPC) will shortly be making its recommendations to Government for the April 2021 increase in the National Minimum Wage; further notes that the LPC consulted on a 49p rise to £9.21 per hour in April 2021; is concerned by reports that this proposed in

TSB Closures in Midlothian

That this House condemns TSB Bank’s decision to close its Dalkeith and Penicuik branches; recognises that this follows a long succession of bank closures in Midlothian; notes that there are no alternative TSB branches nearby to serve the busy communities of Dalkeith and Penicuik, and that the Post O

Tackling child food insecurity

That this House believes no child should go hungry; welcomes Government action to provide Free School Meals over the school summer holidays; recognises that families are still struggling to afford food, that 11 per cent of parents and 6 per cent of children have directly experienced food insecurity

Justice for Osime Brown

That this House acknowledges 21-year-old Osime Brown's autism and the behavioural challenges that come with it; further acknowledges the Home Office's plans to deport Osime to Jamaica where he has not lived since he was four years old and has never returned to; notes Osime's mother's words that if t

Tron St Mary's Church and the Cannae Sing Choir

That this House congratulates Tron St Mary’s church for its tireless efforts during the covid-19 lockdown to ensure that local residents did not go without; appreciates the efforts both before and during the pandemic to foster a spirit of inclusion and togetherness in the community through its work

French paternity leave

That this House commends France’s doubling of paid paternity leave for new fathers to 28 days; praises the fact that seven days of this paternity leave will be obligatory; advocates longer paternity pay in the UK; believes that longer paternity leave helps to fight against gender inequality in the h

Kilcreggan primary school UNICEF rights respecting award

That this House congratulates the pupils and staff of Kilcreggan primary school in Argyll and Bute on receiving the prestigious Silver rights respecting school award from UNICEF; notes that the award was made in recognition of the excellent progress that the school has achieved in embedding the prin

Kit Tarka Foundation

That this House recognises the vital work done by the Kit Tarka Foundation; notes the importance of raising awareness of neonatal Herpes virus and the effect it has on families across the UK; highlights the fact that it is estimated one baby a week will die from this preventable illness; and urges t

Whispering Bob's All Stars

That this House notes that 27 October 2020 will see the release of Stand By Me, a recording to raise funds for Help Musicians the 99 year old charity which has continued to provide vital support to thousands of music creators during the covid-19 pandemic; further notes that the record has been co-or

Enable young people with learning disabilities to access their own money

That this House notes that the first Child Trust Funds, established 18 years ago, are being paid out to recipients this month; notes that many young people will receive upwards of £1,000 at an important time in their lives; expresses concern that no mechanism has been put in place to enable parents

Meeting the communication needs and preferences of people with hearing loss and deafness during the covid-19 outbreak

That this House recognises that the use of opaque face masks can act as a barrier to communication for the 12 million people with hearing loss across the UK; welcomes the recent approval of a transparent mask by the Department of Health and Social Care; asks the Government to issue further guidance

Black History Month and the British Hotel and the Scots Jamaican Nurse Mary Seacole

That this House notes October is Black History Month; welcomes the opportunity to highlight some of those people largely forgotten in history but who have made a significant contribution nonetheless; celebrates the tale of Scots Jamaican nurse Mary Seacole who set up her own convalescent home named

Scotland Malawi Partnership virtual AGM 2020

That this House congratulates the Scotland-Malawi Partnership on its 2020 Annual General Meeting event, held virtually for the first time; notes that over 280 participants joined the event from Scotland, Malawi and elsewhere, the largest gathering for an AGM in the organisation's history; thanks the

Reopening of social care day centres

That this House has concerns regarding the re-opening of social care day centres; notes that no specific guidance has been issued by the Government on reopening such centres; further notes that disproportionate amounts of funding have been made available to commercial and retail sectors in compariso

Support for Learning Service

That this House notes that Support for Learning Services provide early intervention, assessment and support for children with SEND from birth to 25, working with families, nurseries and schools to enable all children to be fully included in their local settings and communities and to achieve positiv

Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for Stephen Fuller

That this House congratulates Stephen Fuller for recently receiving the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service as part of his ongoing work for Green Hive, a not-for-profit charity based in Nairn which delivers projects that benefit the environment and the people of Nairn; notes that the Queen’s Award f

TSB branch closures and financial inclusion

That this House condemns the decision of TSB Bank to close its branches in Kilbirnie, Largs and Saltcoats in North Ayrshire; recognises that this follows the closure of Royal Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank branches across North Ayrshire and Arran; understands that local communities, particular