Early Day Motions

NEWSQUEST NEWSPAPERS AND LOCAL JOURNALISM

That this House deeply regrets that Newsquest Media Group intends to transfer the design and sub-editing for the Northern Echo (Darlington), Telegraph and Argus (Bradford) and the Press (York) to Newport, Wales; notes that the US-based owner Gannett paid £922 million for Newsquest in 1999, taking on

COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION - SEVERE WEATHER DAMAGE

That this House is aware of the sterling work done by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission; notes that the recent inclement weather has had a devastating effect on Britain's communities with many areas damaged by severe flooding and high winds; reminds Ministers that 2014 marks the centenary of th

SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE

That this House celebrates the close and deep connections between the north of England and Scotland; notes the shared values of community, decency and fairness; believes that people throughout Northern Ireland, Wales and England will be heartbroken if Scotland were to choose to leave the United King

ENDING SEVERANCE PAY FOR MINISTERS

That this House notes that when a Minister ceases to hold office they receive a severance payment normally equivalent to three months' salary; further notes that this payment is made for whatever reason the Minister ceases to hold office unless they are over 65 or take up another ministerial positio

DOWN'S SYNDROME AWARENESS WEEK (17-23 MARCH) AND WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY (21 MARCH)

That this House supports the campaign Better Health Care for People with Down's syndrome mounted by the UK charity Down's Syndrome Association (DSA) to ensure that people with Down's syndrome receive regular and effective health surveillance; acknowledges that Down's syndrome is the most frequently

NO PRIVATISATION OF PENSION DELIVERY

That this House totally opposes any outsourcing to private companies of the delivery of the state pension; notes that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) presently administers £100 billion in public monies; is concerned that a review by the DWP indicates that it is considering privatising the

BANKERS' BONUSES

That this House is appalled that by the end of 2014 bankers' bonuses are likely to have reached £80 billion since the financial crisis 2008; points out that this is more than £1,000 for every man, woman and child in the country and more than three times the £20 billion in revenue HM Revenue and Cust

FLOOD REMEDIES

That this House believes that local authorities that give permission to develop in a flood plain should be made legally responsible; points out that in countries like Norway and France planners and politicians held liable may go to prison; notes that some five million people and 2.3 million homes ar

CYPRUS PEACE TALKS

That this House welcomes the agreement, on 11 February 2014 in Nicosia, of the joint communiqué by the leaders of the two Cypriot communities, Nicos Anastasiades and Dervish Eroglu, creating the framework for negotiations to achieve an early, just and lasting settlement; believes that the process ne

CAMRA PUB OF THE YEAR - THE SWAN WITH TWO NECKS, PENDLETON

That this House congratulates the Swan with Two Necks pub in the village of Pendleton in the Ribble Valley on being named CAMRA's Pub of the Year 2014; notes that in the competition pubs are judged on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, value for money, customer mix, but most importantly, qua

SELLAFIELD MANAGEMENT

That this House notes with alarm the Public Accounts Committee conclusions that cash estimates for nuclear waste at Sellafield exceed £70 billion, time-scales have slipped and reprocessing targets have been missed; believes that these enormous costs need to be strictly controlled so payments are not

FIRST UTILITY LOWERING CHARGES FOR NOT PAYING BY DIRECT DEBIT

That this House congratulates First Utility for lowering the amount it charges when customers do not pay their energy bills by direct debit to just £2 per month; notes that prior to the backbench business debate on 4 February 2014 on energy companies charging their customers excessive fees for not p

PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND DATA ON OBESITY

That this House is alarmed by data published by Public Health England on 4 February 2014 which reveals that 64 per cent of adults in England and Wales are either obese or overweight; notes that the worst affected area was Copeland, Cumbria with 75.9 per cent of the population above a healthy weight

ACCESS TO PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES

That this House welcomes the investment that has been made into increasing access to psychological therapies, but notes with concern that one in 10 people are still waiting over a year for access to psychological therapies and three out of five people are not offered a choice in the therapy they are

COSSHAM HOSPITAL MINOR INJURIES UNIT

That this House welcomes the first anniversary of the reopening of Cossham Hospital; further welcomes the £19 million refurbishment that includes a renal dialysis unit, x-ray and scanning department, physiotherapy and outpatient appointments and Bristol's first free-standing midwife-led birth centre

BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY

That this House notes with concern the extremely repressive measures Birmingham University has taken in recent years against students engaging in peaceful political protest, culminating in the latest suspension of five students, without any right of appeal and, bearing in mind the impact that suspe

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE RECOGNITION OF THE INDEPENDENT WORKERS UNION OF GREAT BRITAIN

That this House congratulates the porters and cleaners at the Royal Opera House who have achieved the London Living Wage; salutes the courage of these workers in waging a successful campaign in the face of adversity; notes with concern that the Royal Opera House's contractor MITIE has not recognised

FAST FOOD RIGHTS CAMPAIGN

That this House notes that the fast food industry in the UK sees revenue of over £5 billion every year; further notes that the sector is dominated by multinational corporations delivering vast profits for their shareholders; is appalled that many employees in the industry are not paid a living wage

RECOGNITION OF PUBLIC SERVICE - WAR EFFORTS

That this House recollects a memorial to the Bevin Boys being recently unveiled at the National Arboretum at Alrewas, Staffordshire, in recognition of their role in serving their country during the Second World War by working in Britain's mining industry alongside other colliers who were also denied

USE OF DOGS IN PHARMACEUTICAL TESTING

That this House is aware that 90,000 dogs are used each year in research across the EU and US in evaluating pharmaceutical safety and efficiency, despite there being little research compiled to assess the usefulness of them being used in advancing the development of drugs for humans; notes the findi

WHICH? CLEAN UP CREDIT CAMPAIGN AND EXCESSIVE DEFAULT FEES CHARGED BY PAYDAY LENDERS

That this House notes the recent research published by the Competition Commission that found more than a third of payday loan customers repay their debt late and incur default fees; further notes previous research estimating that a million UK households a month are using payday loans; welcomes the W

SOCIAL SECURITY

That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Housing Benefit (Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I., 2014, No. 212), dated 4 February 2014, a copy of which was laid before this House on 5 February, be annulled.

YOUNG HERO AWARDS

That this House commends those young people who have been nominated for The Mail on Sunday Guy Evans Young Hero of the Year Award; and recognises their courage and achievements and the standard of care and compassion that they have shown which inspires us all.

GUARDIAN CAMPAIGN TO END FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

That this House notes that an estimated 66,000 women in the UK have suffered from female genital mutilation (FGM); further notes that an additional 20,000 British girls are thought to be at risk of being cut every year despite previous Government promises to stop FGM; commends the work of 17 year ol

GOVERNMENT REVIEW OF THE PROVISION OF CHECK-OFF FACILITIES

That this House notes with concern news that the Government is currently undertaking a review of the provision of check-off facilities throughout government; further notes that this is an arrangement whereby trade union subscriptions are automatically deducted from salaries; understands that the Pub