[NOTE: Amendments are linked to the original EDMs which Julian amended.]
EDM 307 – 18 March 2020
CO-OPERATION BETWEEN BLIND VETERANS UK AND THE BLINDED VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
[This EDM was tabled jointly with Jim Shannon, Dan Jarvis, Allan Dorans, Sir Graham Brady and Rosie Cooper. It was eventually supported by 40 MPs.]
That this House celebrates the forthcoming 75th anniversary on 28 March 2020 of the Blinded Veterans Association of America and recognises its close and developing partnership with Blind Veterans UK, formerly known as St Dunstan’s, in the area of research into sight loss; acknowledges the unique value of the proposed UK-US Joint Ocular Trauma Task Force; and urges the Government to support that Task Force and endorse the planned joint Centre of Research and Innovation for Blind Veterans.
EDM 280 – 11 March 2020
[This EDM was tabled jointly with Stephen Doughty. It was eventually supported by 47 MPs.]
That this House honours and recognises the sacrifices that our veterans and their families make; notes the particular sacrifices that the partners of veterans make and the consequences for them of tragically losing a spouse or partner serving in the armed forces; notes the changes announced in 2014 which allowed war widows or widowers that lost their spouse or cohabiting partner in service in the armed forces before 6 April 2005, and had not remarried by 1 April 2015, to retain their war widow pension for life regardless of ongoing relationship status; notes however that this regrettably excluded war widows bereaved before 6 April 2005 that had already had to surrender their war widows pension upon remarrying or cohabiting; believes that this is unacceptable; notes that the only way this group of war widows could regain their pensions is by divorcing their current partners and remarrying them; agrees with the then Defence Secretary who said on 18 February 2019 that this was a burning injustice, Official Report, column 1187; and therefore supports the campaign of the War Widows Association to rectify this anomaly; and urges the Government to correct this injustice by providing equalisation and compensation for the small number of war widows unjustly affected.
EDM 89 – 21 January 2020
PRIORITY SERVICES REGISTRATION SCHEME FOR VULNERABLE CUSTOMERS
OF SCOTTISH AND SOUTHERN ELECTRICITY NETWORKSThat this House commends the establishment and operation by key utility companies, such as Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, of priority services registers; notes that these registers encourage consumers with children under five, or with hearing, sight or other disabilities, or who are chronically ill, or rely on electricity for medical equipment, or are over 60, to register with the company for priority treatment, advice and support in the event of power loss; welcomes the fact that the priority services registration scheme is free of charge; and accordingly encourages all who fall into the various categories of vulnerability qualifying for the scheme to register and take advantage of this commendable service.