Early Day Motions

SCOTTISH SCHOOLS' YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR, EAST RENFREWSHIRE

That this House congratulates Emma Kirby of Eastwood High School in Newton Mearns on winning an award at this year's Scottish Schools' Young Writer of the Year competition; notes that the competition was organised by the Institute of Contemporary Scotland in association with the Young Programme char

TURKISH OFFENSIVE IN AFRIN

That this House condemns the Turkish Army's ground offensive against Syrian Kurds in Afrin; deplores the brutal attacks which have killed civilians as well as fighters from both sides and displaced·an estimated 5,000 people; notes the invaluable support the Kurdish forces provided and continue to pr

KURDISH PROGRESS

That this House acknowledges the work of Kurdish Progress in providing a forum for discussing political, economic and social developments of Kurdish people in the UK and the wider Kurdistan region; welcomes Kurdish Progress's aim to improve the foundation of Kurdish people within British society; an

CHILDREN'S SCREEN USE

That this House notes the British Psychological Society's published guidance on Children, adolescents and screen use earlier this month; acknowledges much of the evidence for the negative effects of screen use in children and teenagers is not based on robust enough science; further notes the misunde

FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF DURHAM UNIVERSITY'S LAW SCHOOL

That this House congratulates Durham University's Law School on its 50th Anniversary; notes the success of the Law School over the last 50 years including reaching its best ever performances in the National Student Survey and QS World Rankings in 2017, the distinguished high achievements of its awar

VISITOR VISAS FOR PEOPLE FROM INDIA

That this House welcomes the announcement of the doubling of UK exports to India, increasing trade and developing economic relations; acknowledges the importance of the UK and India's long-term historical, cultural and business ties, and celebrates the positive relationship between the two countries

TURKEY'S WAR ON AFRIN

That this House strongly condemns Turkey's unprovoked, aggressive airstrikes on Afrin, a Kurdish canton in Northern Syria, resulting in deaths and injuries of civilians; notes that initiating a military attack on a country that has not attacked you constitutes a war crime; understands that neither A

US SANCTIONS ON NICARAGUA

That this House is extremely concerned by US proposals to implement sanctions against Nicaragua through the so­-called NICA Act; notes that if passed, the Act will serve only to destabilise Nicaragua and further impoverish what is already the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere; further

CURRENT SITUATION IN AFRIN, SYRIA

That this House is deeply concerned about the current situation of the people of Afrin, who have been subjected to Turkish Government aggression; notes that Afrin has been one of the more stable parts of Syria and that it has become a destination for hundreds of refugees from many cities including A

FATAL ACCIDENT INQUIRY INTO THE SUMBURGH HELICOPTER CRASH IN AUGUST 2013

That this House recalls the helicopter crash in August 2013 in which a Eurocopter AS332L2 Super Puma Mk 2 crashed into the sea two nautical miles west of Sumburgh, Shetland with four fatalities; notes that both the Air Accident Investigation Branch and Police Scotland have conducted and concluded th

ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY PHARMACY SCHEME

That this House notes the importance of local pharmacies as a community cornerstone, and as a vital service for the most vulnerable in the community; believes that the best way to do this is to create an Essential Community Pharmacy Scheme to fund the purchase of prescription drugs up front, rather

AWARD OF ROYAL VICTORIAN ORDER

That this House congratulates Guy Clark on being awarded the Royal Victorian Order; notes that for the past 11 years Mr Clark has served as Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire; acknowledges that this is one of the highest honours in the UK and that Mr Clark has used the role to devote his time to encour

SOUP STOP, BARRHEAD

That this House congratulates Soup Stop, based at Bourock Parish Church in Barrhead, who will celebrate its10th anniversary this year; notes that Soup Stop, which serves broth and beverages, will support a new charity in each month of 2018; acknowledges that the charity had raised more than £70,000

LIFE AFTER WAR - FILM BY WAYNE SHARROCKS

That this House supports the work of Wayne Sharrocks who campaigns on the issues of mental health in the Armed Forces and the dangers of enlisting at age 16; notes that mental health disorders among the UK Armed Forces have increased by 78 per cent since 2007; further notes Wayne's background as a v

HOSPITAL CAR PARKING CHARGES AND THE RAC

That this House notes the support of the motoring organisation, RAC, for the abolition of car parking charges; further notes that the RAC believes alternatives such as charge capping, paying on exit and card payment options should be considered in the interim; notes the support of the RAC for the se

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR THE CITIZEN'S THEATRE, GLASGOW

That this House welcomes the award of an additional £1.5 million to the Citizen's Theatre from the Scottish Government; understands that this brings the Scottish Government's contribution to the ongoing redevelopment project to £4 million; believes that this funding, along with contribution from the

GLASGOW - A TOP 10 PLACE TO GO IN 2018

That this House notes that Glasgow has made this year's The New York Times Annual Places to Go List, coming in at 10th place out of 52 global destinations; understands that The New York Times praised the range of culinary options on offer, including the wide range of wallet friendly restaurants avai

PROPOSED VISIT OF SAUDI CROWN PRINCE TO THE UK

That this House regrets the Prime Minister's invitation to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to visit the UK; notes that, as Minister of Defense, Mohammed bin Salman was widely associated with curtailing human rights, and that it was his decision to lead Saudi Arabia into war in Yemen

COLLECTING DATA ON ELECTION CANDIDATE DIVERSITY

That this House notes with concern that Section 106 of the Equality Act 2010 is yet to be commenced; acknowledges that this legislation would require political parties to monitor the diversity of their election candidates; regrets that Section 106 does not cover local government elections, that ther

IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

That this House welcomes the new research by the Tear Fund, which shows that adults in the UK are praying more; encourages people to recognise that prayer can help to restore strength, enables people to be closer to God and focuses their heart and mind; and believes that prayer can, and does, change

SPONDYLOARTHRITIS

That this House acknowledges the significant impact spondyloarthritis conditions have on individual sufferers and highlights the importance of achieving improved outcomes for patients; notes the often distressing and debilitating symptoms of the conditions, and the particular need to improve awarene

KYLE WADDELL AND THE 2018 WINTER OLYMPICS

That this House congratulates Kyle Waddell on being selected to represent Team GB in curling at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games which take place in February 2018; acknowledges that Kyle will go the Games with the best possible support, having been funded by UK Sport as a member of the Worl

STONEWALL'S LGBT IN BRITAIN: TRANS REPORT

That this House notes the publication of Stonewall's LGBT in Britain: Trans Report and its findings on continued discrimination, violence and exclusion currently experienced by trans people in the UK; recognises the disproportionate volume of hate crimes because of gender identity, with two in five

REGEN FX YOUTH TRUST

That this House congratulates Regen: FX Youth Trust on securing £143,387 National Lottery funding from the Big Lottery Fund Scotland, Our Place; acknowledges the group's aims to identify, design and deliver new and innovative solutions to ease youth poverty; celebrates the group's endeavours to empo

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF MAY ISLAND

That this House notes the 100th anniversary of The Battle of May Island during which five accidental collisions occurred near the island between eight Royal Navy vessels on their way from Rosyth to fleet exercises in the North Sea on the misty night on 31 January 1918; further notes the accident res