Early Day Motions

SHOTTS TOWN STATUS

That this House welcomes the efforts of community activists in Shotts, North Lanarkshire in their campaign to see Shotts recognised as a town, rather than a collection of villages, by North Lanarkshire Council; acknowledges a petition nearly 1,000 signatures from local residents demanding the change

SUGAR FILM

That this House commends the makers of The Sugar Film with Damon Gameau, which raises awareness of the alarming levels of sugar in ordinary food and drink products; notes that for 60 days the film-maker consumed foods perceived to be healthy, which actually consisted of around 40 teaspoons of sugar

RELEASE OF FORMER PRESIDENT NASHEED OF THE MALDIVES

That this House recognises the arbitrary and unjust arrest and imprisonment of former President Nasheed of the Maldives, a great friend of the UK in an important Commonwealth country; supports the Prime Minister's call on 24 June 2015 that President Nasheed be swiftly released from detention, along

PARKHEAD HOUSING ASSOCIATION

That this House congratulates Parkhead Housing Association on their fantastic achievement in being named Best (Small) Housing Association in Scotland 2015; and recognises the significant impact they have had in the local community and for their tenants.

WILD ANIMALS IN CIRCUSES

That this House notes that a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses was included in the manifestos of the Conservative, Labour and Green parties at the recent general election, showing the unified support across the House on this animal protection issue; recalls that 94 per cent of respondents t

NATIONAL GALLERY INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE

That this House commends the knowledge, experience and dedication of the visitor and security services staff at the National Gallery; does not support the Gallery's decision to use a private company to manage services that include ticketing, security and information; deplores the victimisation of Pu

IPCC REPORT ON ORGREAVE

at end insert 'and that the inquiry should be initiated by and funded in total by the Government.'.

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS IN SOUTH LONDON

That this House believes that local newspapers play a crucial role in enhancing local democracy, such as by reporting on council meetings, holding local decision-makers to account and providing a forum for local issues; recognises that many local journalists are paid below the London Living Wage, de

DAY OF THE SEAFARER 2015

That this House supports the International Maritime Organisation's Day of the Seafarer on 25 June 2015; notes that 1.5 million merchant seafarers move 90 per cent of the world's traded goods every year in an exceptionally hazardous and unevenly regulated industry; is concerned that there is a global

DALAI LAMA'S 80TH BIRTHDAY

That this House congratulates Tibet's exiled spiritual leader Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, on his 80th birthday on 6 July 2015; recognises him as a global icon of peace and compassion; commends his work promoting mindfulness and non-violence; and encourages the Chinese government to enter int

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS WITHIN SECC LTD

That this House is dismayed by the actions of Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) Ltd, a company in which Glasgow City Council is the 91 per cent shareholder, regarding its regular failure to recognise a trade union for its staff for collective bargaining rights which has been exacerbat

MEASUREMENT OF CHILDREN'S ACTIVITY AND FITNESS LEVELS

That this House recognises that formal measurement of children's activity and fitness levels is required to put in place effective solutions to stop the rise of the least active generation in history; accepts the varied benefits to be had by ingraining an appreciation for physical activity in even t

RETIREMENT OF PAUL WELLENS

That this House acknowledges the retirement of Great Britain, England, Lancashire and St Helens full-back Paul Wellens; notes that his retirement comes early due to injury; congratulates him on a professional career spanning 20 seasons, comprising 495 appearances for Saints RFC, 31 caps for England

AUCHINLECK TALBOT

That this House congratulates Auchinleck Talbot on its most recent Scottish Cup victory at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, defeating Musselburgh 2-1; notes that the tournament was sponsored by Dyslexia Scotland and it is hoped that this sponsorship has raised awareness of this condition; further notes that

CHILD MAINTENANCE SERVICE CHARGES

That this House is greatly concerned at the impact that charging for the use of the Child Maintenance Scheme (CMS) is having on families and children; believes that these charges in effect constitute a tax on children in contradiction to the Government's professed child-friendly stance; notes that c

RAIF BADAWI

That this House recognises the unjust arrest and imprisonment of Raif Badawi in Saudi Arabia in May 2014 for championing free speech and freedom of expression; is concerned that he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, 1,000 lashes, a fine of one million Saudi Riyal - over a quarter of a million U

INTERNATIONAL DRUGS POLICY AND SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF TORTURE

That this House welcomes the third global day of action for the Support Don't Punish campaign, to highlight the harms caused by the war on drugs; further welcomes the international day in support of victims of torture; notes that both events take place on 26 June 2015 and that both issues are interl

NATIONAL COMPLIANCE ENFORCEMENT SERVICE

That this House applauds the work done by staff in the National Compliance Enforcement Service (NCES) who brought in £518 million in fines, penalties and confiscation orders during 2013-14 and have continued to improve collection rates despite cuts to staff and resources; recognises the value of sha

SCHOOL STUDENTS LEGALLY RESIDENT IN THE UK AND ACCESS TO STUDENT LOANS

That this House notes that, as a result of 2011 changes to the Government Student Loans Scheme, there are thousands of lawfully resident and British educated students who are no longer eligible for student loans; further notes that this is because such students do not have full citizenship; further

INDUSTRIAL ACTION AT GUNSTONES BAKERY

That this House notes that management at Gunstones Bakery, near Sheffield, having recently made over 400 redundancies, is now trying to impose a pay freeze on the remaining workforce; further notes that the Chief Executive of the parent company, 2 Sisters Food Group, Ranjit Singh Boparan, and his wi

CONSULTATION ON THE EXTENSION OF THE RIGHT TO BUY SCHEME

That this House believes the Government should conduct a full, transparent and public consultation with local authorities and housing associations on its plan to expand the right to buy scheme to encompass housing association properties; notes that councils and housing associations across the countr

SCHOOL BUS TRAVEL IN SOUTH LANARKSHIRE

That this House is deeply concerned at proposals to alter the qualifying distance for free bus travel for secondary school children in South Lanarkshire; understands that this will be implemented by the Labour-led council in August 2015 without any meaningful consultation with parents or communities

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF DETENTION OF ANDARGACHEW TSIGE

That this House is dismayed by the continued detention of UK national, and Ethiopian opposition activist, Andargachew Tsige, who was kidnapped from Yemen a year ago on 23 June and held since in solitary confinement in an undisclosed location in Ethiopia; notes with concern that Mr Tsige was sentence

INDUSTRIAL COMMUNITIES ALLIANCE REPORT ON THE ECONOMIC DISPARITIES IN OLDER INDUSTRIAL AREAS

That this House welcomes the report by the Industrial Communities Alliance, Whose Recovery? which notes the widening economic gap between former industrial areas in the English regions, Scotland and Wales compared to London and the South East; asks the Government to bring forward policies to address

BUFFER ZONES AROUND ABORTION CLINICS

That this House notes with concern the recent escalation in anti-abortion activity targeted at women and staff attending abortion clinics and pregnancy advisory services; further notes that approaching and recording women and staff, alongside the distribution of misleading information and distressin