Early Day Motions

Work of charities during the covid-19 outbreak

That this House notes the incredible work of charities and the voluntary sector during the covid-19 outbreak to provide practical support for people struggling with mental health; thanks those people that have helped others and kept communities operating; and supports Her Majesty’s message that we w

Mental Health Awareness Week 2020

That this House notes that it is Mental Health Awareness Week 2020; highlights the fact that the theme this year is Be Kind and Kindness; encourages people within the social distancing rules in place to make contact with loved ones and offer support; further highlights that the effect of covid-19 an

East Lothian holiday parks

That this House recognises the fantastic contribution that holiday parks make to the local community; notes that holiday parks provide local jobs and due to their rural locations, many of which are in rural coastal areas with access to walking and hiking in nature, support mental and physical well-b

West Coast Furniture Bank in Stevenston

That this House congratulates the Stevenston-based charity, West Coast Furniture Bank, on securing recognition from the National Lottery through funding which will help it to continue its excellent work - providing furniture and everything needed to furnish a home to those in need; commends that cha

Enabling people to work from home to protect against covid-19

That this House recognises the importance of people working from home to protect the NHS and limit the spread of covid-19; notes that many workers lack the equipment to work effectively from home and often cannot afford to pay for expensive equipment without financial support from employers; encoura

Cross-border travel during covid-19

That this House recognises the difference in lockdown regulations between Wales and England; notes that the Welsh Government is still advising against all non-essential travel and requires the people of Wales to stay at home except for very limited purposes; calls on the UK Government to ensure that

Protections for tenants during coronavirus crisis

That this House is concerned about the high number of tenants who have lost income during the coronavirus crisis; further concerned about the number of tenants who are in rent arrears and are at risk of eviction as soon as the temporary freeze on evictions is lifted; notes that this crisis comes at

Christian Aid Week

That this House recognises East Lothian's fundraising efforts in raising £35,477 for Christian Aid Week; acknowledges this achievement places East Lothian in the 17th position in raising the most out of all constituencies across the UK; notes these funds will go towards supporting those who have bee

CoVent-19 Challenge finalist

That this House congratulates Ross Hunter, Chief Executive of Midlothian-based firm Armadilla, on becoming the only finalist from the UK in a global challenge to invent a new ventilator to help Covid-19 sufferers; notes that the CoVent-19 Challenge is an open innovation 8-week Grand Challenge for en

International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia and Interphobia 2020

That this House notes that 17 May is the annual International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia and Interphobia to highlight the violence and discrimination that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex communities and other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities

UK Veterans and frozen pensions

That this House notes the publication of Broken Faith, Britain’s Forgotten Heroes by the Campaign to End Frozen Pensions, which highlights the continuing injustice of the UK frozen pensions policy which affects over 500,000 UK state pensioners, including an estimated 100,000 military veterans, livin

Campaign to extend maternity leave by three months

That this House recognises the adverse effect the covid–19 pandemic has on social isolation generally and new mothers on maternity leave in particular; highlights the importance of social interaction and building bonds within extended family circles and wider society both for the babies development

Dundee Thegither

That this House commends the hard work and selflessness displayed by community groups in response to the covid-19 crisis, particularly by Dundee Thegither whose small team have worked tirelessly to bring vital supplies of food and medicine to vulnerable individuals across Dundee.

Rebel Tongue

That this House welcomes the production of the television programme Rebel Tongue where the host, Alistair Heather, highlights the importance of the Scots language and showcases its role in modern Scottish life; notes that Scots is one of Scotland’s three official languages with over one and a half m

Kirkcaldy4All

That this House pays tribute to all those involved in Kirkcaldy’s Business Improvement District (BID), Kirkcaldy4All, for their efforts in promoting Kirkcaldy by supporting hundreds of businesses across Kirkcaldy and delivering a wide range of projects, events and support initiatives over the last d

Prisoners of conscience in the Middle East

That this House notes that 15 May 2020 marks the second anniversary of the wave of arrests targeting Saudi women’s rights activists; is concerned that several, including Loujain al-Hathloul, Naseema al-Sadah, Samar Badawi, Nouf Abdulaziz and Maya’a al-Zahrani, remain in detention and eight others re

Refunds for travel cancelled due to covid-19

That this house recognises the financial pressure that many households are under due to covid-19 and that many of these will be legally entitled to refunds from travel companies; notes that some companies are not providing these refunds in a timely manner or are making cash refunds difficult to acce

Death of rock 'n' roll legend Little Richard

That this House notes with sadness the death of rock 'n' roll legend, Little Richard; further notes the wonderful legacy he left behind by all of those who enjoyed his tremendous musical talents and songs, such as Tutti Frutti and Long Tall Sally; and passes on sincere sympathy to his family and tho

P&O Ferries' proposals on British seafarer jobs

That this House notes with concern P&O Ferries’ proposal to make 1,100 redundancies amongst key workers in Dover and Hull; further notes that this includes over 730 seafarer ratings who make up 8 per cent of the total UK workforce; offers support to the workers and families in coastal communities af

Support for sport of shooting

That this House, fully supporting the sport of shooting and the private ownership of firearms within the law, notes the importance to public safety of monitoring the medical health of firearms certificate holders during the lifetime of their certificates; further notes that Government policy, as exp

Lunar Gymnastics Club

That this House recognises the achievements of the Lunar Gymnastics Club based in Lesmahagow; commends the achievements of the individual gymnasts at the Club, which include medals being won at the Scottish Tumble Championships, Middlesbrough Festival and Scottish Championships; acknowledges the rem

Taxation of businesses

That this House recognises the impact of the ongoing Covid 19 crisis and the financial strains placed on business; supports vital Government action to safeguard jobs and support businesses during the pandemic; believes all businesses should pay their fair share of tax and recognises that the majorit

Community support groups in Clackmannanshire

That this House commends the invaluable contributions made by voluntary groups, businesses and individuals who have given their time and effort to co-ordinate support for the most vulnerable in Clackmannanshire; acknowledges the community spirit shown by those making individual sacrifices at this di

Supporting supply teachers during covid-19

That this House recognises that many supply teachers are still facing significant anxiety due to a lack of clarity from the Government with regards to furlough during the covid-19 outbreak; notes that with schools set to reopen in a phased manner many supply teachers will rely on the welfare system

Household energy bills during lockdown

That this House is deeply concerned with the increasing financial pressures being felt by struggling families as a result of the coronavirus; recognises that energy bills are estimated to increase by an average of £32 a month or almost £400 a year due to increased energy usage during lockdown; under