Early Day Motions

All EDMs signed by Adrian can be found via this link to Early Day Motions on the UK Parliament website.

A selection of EDMs recently tabled by Adrian:

EDM 1176

That this House notes the quashing after the longest campaign in English legal history lasting 53 years of the conviction of George Kelly who was wrongly convicted of murder in the Cameo Cinema murder case and who was executed in 1950; recognises the efforts of those, including relatives who have died, who sought to overturn the conviction; and calls for a public inquiry into the gross miscarriage of justice.

EDM 1092A1

Leave out from 'Government' to end and insert 'not to make St George's Day a public holiday until the potentially greater benefit to the UK tourist industry of an autumn public holiday, possibly around Trafalgar Day, has been fully assessed.'

EDM 824

That this House notes with concern that in 2006-07 up to £1.5 billion was lost to error or fraud in tax credit payments; further notes that people under 25 years old with no children are ineligible to claim tax credits; recognises that the inclusion of this age group would cost approximately £285 million for the 2009-10 financial year; and calls on the Government to take action to reduce fraud and error as well as to end the age discrimination currently enshrined in tax credit policy.

EDM 432

That this House notes with concern reductions in funding for supporting people services; further notes that this is leading to the threat of a removal of warden-supported housing complexes; is concerned that this will have a detrimental effect upon the quality of life of many vulnerable people who rely on warden-supported housing; and calls on the Government to take action to ensure that this vital service remains.

EDM 306

That this House notes that child benefit can only be paid to one parent; further notes that this unnecessarily discriminates against the other parent where parents are separated and maintain shared custody of children; further notes that this can further discriminate against one parent by preventing access to suitable housing and additional income to allow them to provide for children; further notes that this can lead to restricted access for one parent to see their children; and calls on the Government to take action to address these problems.

EDM 305

That this House notes with concern the findings of Human Rights Watch report An Atmosphere of Quiet Repression, detailing the poor state of human rights in Kazakhstan; furthers notes that serious improvement should be expected for when Kazakhstan chairs the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in 2010; believes that too little progress has been made to improving the situation; and calls on the Government to put more pressure on the Kazakh government to rectify the poor regard for human rights in the country.

EDM 286

That this House recognises the considerable potential of Maglev technology for the United Kingdom's rail network; notes that it provides the most cost-effective high-speed rail solution; further notes the substantial economic and environmental benefits that could be brought with a broad intercity maglev network in addition to substantial improvements in speed, comfort and reliability of rail services; and calls on the Government to endorse the United Kingdom Ultraspeed Maglev project and to take practical steps towards developing a high speed rail network for the United Kingdom.

EDM 155

That this House welcomes the benefits brought by the concessionary bus fares scheme for the over-60s and disabled; notes that under 18 year olds suffer from similar restrictions to mobility such as minimal income and lack of access to private transport; further notes that concessionary schemes for the under 18a are not standard across the UK and that some 16 years olds pay the equivalent of full adult bus fare; recognises that the lack of access to public transport for under 18 year olds in many areas of the UK has a serious debilitating effect upon their quality of life, leading to poor citzenship, anti-social behaviour and other negative outcomes; calls upon the Government to acknowledge the wide disparity in transport provision for young people; and further calls for action to be taken to provide a universial concessionary scheme for young people to better enable them to accomplish the aims of Every Child Matters.

EDM 154

That this House notes with concern that demand for adaptations to homes covered by the disabled facilities grant scheme far outweighs the funding available for the scheme; further notes that this results in delay completing vital adaptations to the homes of the elderly and infirm to allow them comfortably to live in their homes; and calls on the Government to either increase the direct disabled facilities grant in correlation with demand or increase the general funding grant made available to local authorities to allow them to adequately process and implement applications.

EDM 110

That this House welcomes the benefit to elderly and disabled people demonstrated by the extended concessionary bus fare scheme; notes that the existing funding grant does not fully compensate many local authorities for the costs involved; further notes that the scheme impacts disproportionately on areas that attract large numbers of visitors, such as coastal resorts, whose demography already results in a higher uptake; fears that as well as removing funding from other local authority services, the consequences will include a reduction in the quality and extent of the public bus service for all users; and calls on the Government to review the funding structure for the concessionary bus fare scheme to ensure that local authorities are fully compensated.

EDM 68

That this House notes that there is no facility to allow people to use text messages to contact blue light emergency services and believes that such a service could assist people needing to contact the emergency services while unable to speak; and calls on the Government to encourage the mobile telephone industry to come up with a text message 999 number through which blue light emergency services can be contacted.

EDM 67

That this House notes with concern the proposed rationalisation of HM Revenue and Customs offices in Torquay and Newton Abbot; is concerned that this will have a detrimental effect on services to residents and businesses in the South Devon area; recognises the difficulties for staff in finding alternative employment within reasonable travelling time of Torquay and Newton Abbot; notes the severe economic impact closures would have on the local economy; and calls on the Government to suspend the closure plans and conduct a full socio-economic review of the impact on the South Devon area.