As a backbencher MP Vernon can now sign Early Day Motions. (EDMs) Here is a list of the EDMs he is already supporting: 

MUSIC FOR YOUTH CHARITY

That this House congratulates Music for Youth on its 40-year anniversary; praises the educational charity for the opportunities it has offered to 2.3 million young people in that time through its regional festivals, the annual National Festival in Birmingham and the Schools Prom at London's Royal Albert Hall; welcomes its plans to expand its already impressive annual reach of 100,000 performers and audience members; and wishes the charity many more years of success.

EDM 618

BIOLIQUIDS

That this Houserecognises the important role which sustainable bioliquids made from waste, such as Used Cooking Oil (UCO), have in helping the UK meet its challenging targets to reduce carbon emissions by 34 per cent. and increase the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources to 15 per cent. by 2020; acknowledges that the Department for Energy and Climate Change's own research indicates that UCO, which can cause serious environmental and economic damage if dumped down the drain, has the highest energy efficiency use when used in Combined Heat and Power; notes that bioliquids produced from waste products avoid a host of contentious issues traditionally associated with biofuels such as the food versus fuel debate; further notes the importance of the UK's rapidly developing bioliquids sector in creating a green collar skills sector; and calls on the Government to make a clear policy commitment which ensures that bioliquids made from waste receive the same level of support offered to other forms of renewable energy such as solid biomass and anaerobic digestion and which, at the same time, disincentivises unsustainable bioliquids.

RESCUE OF SUN BEARS BY EDINBURGH ZOO

That this House congratulates Edinburgh Zoo for their magnificent efforts in bringing two sun bears, Rotana and Sommang, to Scotland after they were rescued from inhumane treatment in Cambodia; commends the work of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland in ensuring the safe transfer of the bears to the United Kingdom; notes the importance of such institutions in providing a safe environment for rare animals; and acknowledges the great achievements by the staff at Edinburgh Zoo in educating people about the importance of wildlife conservationand animal welfare.

BUILDING SCHOOLS FOR THE FUTURE PROGRAMME

That this House recalls the disgraceful state of disrepair, discomfort and the lack of modern facilities that characterised too many schools under previous Conservative Governments; commends the last Labour Government for its widely respected Building Schools for the Future programme to build new secondary schools and refurbish others so that pupils could enjoy decent facilities and improve discipline and educational achievement; condemns the current Coalition Government for its cavalier attitude towards pupils, parents and teaching staff in schools around the country in halting over 700 school rebuilding schemes that had, in many cases, been negotiated carefully over many months or years by the Government, local authorities and schools, which were keenly anticipated by all concerned and which would also have assisted the construction industry and other sectors at a time when the economic recovery is fragile; notes, in particular that a total of 90 schools in the North East of England have been cancelled, including 14 in Sunderland, 4 in Gateshead, 15 in Redcar and Cleveland, 1 in Northumberland, 11 in North Tyneside, 6 in Hartlepool, 15 in Durham, 7 in Darlington and 17 in Stockton on Tees, with another 4 listed for discussion; and urges the Government to reconsider its decisions.

COURT CLOSURES

That this House is alarmed by the proposals to close 103 magistrates' courts and 54 county courts in England and Wales put forward by the Ministry of Justice; notes that this respresents a 30 per cent. cut in courts across the country; acknowledges that courts provide a vital public service delivering local justice; deplores the fact that an announcement of such importance to hon. Members was presented in a Written Ministerial Statement; is concerned that the scale of these closures will have a significant and lasting impact on the prosecution of justice in local communities; does not believe that the timetable for public consultation is sufficient for a proposal of such magnitude; and calls on the Minister responsible to extend the consultation period to allow hon. Members and other interested parties to submit responses, and to agree to meet urgently with representatives from the recognised trade unions to discuss how to mitigate the impact of these proposals on their members.

LABOUR DIVERSITY FUND CAMPAIGN

That this House supports the campaign within the Labour Party for the creation of a fund within the Labour Party that local parties can draw on to develop talented individuals from under-represented groups to provide bursaries and grants to individuals who would be unable to sustain the costs of candidacy; recognises that there is unacceptably low representation in Parliament of groups from low-income backgrounds such as manual workers, ethnic minorities, women and disabled people; and calls on all sides of the House to campaign for similar funds to be created.

WILD ANIMALS IN CIRCUSES

That this House notes that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs public consultation on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses shows that 94.5 per cent. of respondents support a ban as the best option to protect the welfare of circus animals; further notes that the new Government has been unclear on whether it will take action; believes that treating wild animals as circus tricks has no place in civilised society; underlines that violence against animals continues to occur routinely in circuses as revealed in an investigation into the Great British Circus in 2009; recognises that the only thing stopping this ban from coming into place is a decision by Ministers; and urges the Government to use its powers under section 12 of the Animal Welfare Act to make a regulation banning the use of all wild animals in circuses.

BUS SERVICES OPERATOR GRANT

That this House recognises the importance of local bus services in tackling congestion in urban areas, in contributing to carbon reduction and in providing a lifeline service in rural areas and for households without access to a car; notes that the Government's own calculations suggest that if Government BSOG (Bus Services Operator Grant) support for bus services were to be withdrawn, substantial fare increases, service reductions and job losses would follow; and calls on the Government to continue to support bus services by retaining BSOG.

DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE

That this House urges the Government to recognise that the intention behind disability living allowance was not to award benefit based on a particular disabling condition but on the extent to which a severely disabled person has personal care or mobility needs as a result of living with their disability; understands that medical assessments and questionnaires cannot in practice be worded perfectly to reflect the legislation and case law; acknowledges that it is the role of the decision maker to determine a person's eligibility, based on all the relevant evidence, both medical and non-medical; considers that the administrative cost of medical assessments could be better used to make the benefit application process easier for disabled people to complete and to better support the decision maker; and calls on the Government to re-consider its decision to introduce medical assessments for new and existing claimants of disability living allowance.

GOVERNMENT OFFICE NETWORK

That this House recognises the work of the Government Office Network, which employs over 1,700 staff from 13 departments in nine locations across England which deliver Government services in partnership with local authorities and charities in areas from child protection to monitoring community tensions; is concerned that the review of the Government Offices could lead to their closure which would have a devastating impact on the community; and urges the Government to protect the delivery of services in English regions and to meet urgently with Public and Commercial Services Union representatives who work in the Government Office Network to consider their concerns.

INDEPENDENT LIVING FUND

That this House supports the Independent Living Fund in providing financial support to those with disabilities in the UK; notes that the fund currently provides vital support for over 21,000 people; welcomes the support which the fund has received from Government in recent years; expresses deep concern however that due to the rising cost of care the fund has had to close to new applicants for the remainder of the financial year; and calls on the Government to increase the funding to the Independent Living Fund to allow it to continue providing support to all who require it.

EDM 317

VALUE ADDED TAX INCREASE

That this House believes value added tax (VAT) is an unfair and regressive tax which disproportionately affects people on lower incomes, including pensioners and the unemployed who do not pay income tax or national insurance; further believes that the temporary reduction in VAT to 15 per cent. in 2009 was a successful measure in stimulating the economy during the recession; and opposes the unfair increase in VAT to 20 per cent. announced in the 2010 Budget, which will hit the poorest families and pensioners in society hardest.

EDM 298

GOVERNMENT POLICY ON EXTENDED FREE SCHOOL MEAL ELIGIBILITY

That this House shares the concern of several education unions, the Child Poverty Action Group, health groups and prominent academics about the Government's decision not to proceed with the extension of free school meal eligibility to an estimated half a million primary school children from low income working families, which would cost parents returning to work over £300 per child; notes that the recent Strategic Review of Health Inequalities in England post-2010 highlighted the disadvantages faced by those from the lowest socio-economic groups and the importance of giving every child the best start in life; believes that ensuring that all primary school children living in poverty receive a healthy school meal would make a considerable contribution to reducing both education and health inequalities, given that almost one-third of children are overweight or obese by the time they reach the end of primary school; further believes that healthier school meals have been shown to improve classroom behaviour, helping to improve academic performance and attainment; and urges the Government to review this decision as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review process.

EDM 252

RODEO EVENTS AND ANIMAL WELFARE

That this House commends the League Against Cruel Sports in bringing the enormous cruelty of rodeo to the attention of the British public; applauds the work of the Vancouver Humane Society in campaigning against rodeo; and calls on the Canadian government to take steps to end the immense cruelty to animals in events such as calf roping, which is practised at rodeos including the Calgary Stampede.

EDM 243

SCIENCE EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

That this House notes the value and importance of science in the schools' curriculum; further notes the importance of the specific inclusion of evolution and natural selection in the schools' curriculum; regrets that evolution has been dropped from reforms to the primary school curriculum, along with other reforms proposed; further regrets the inclusion of creationist and other pseudo-scientific theories in the teaching of science in some schools; and urges the Government to ensure that all schools teach and promote science and the scientific method and to include the theory of evolution in the science curriculum at both primary and secondary levels.

EDM 210

COMMUNITY PUBLIC HOUSES

That this House recognises the social, economic and cultural importance of well-run community pubs, which provide a safe and sociable environment for the consumption of alcohol among friends and are an essential community meeting place; notes the ideas put forward in the Campaign for Real Ale's Beer Drinkers and Pub Goers Charter which received support from 670 candidates at the last election, 150 of whom were elected; welcomes the genuine cross party consensus on the need to support and protect well-run community pubs; and so urges the Government to implement a package of policies which will help secure the future of viable and well-run community pubs.

EDM 193

UNADOPTED ROADS

That this House notes that there are an estimated 40,000 unadopted roads in England and Wales; expresses concern that often people who live on unadopted roads struggle to access public services and to meet costs of maintenance, for which they are personally liable; calls on the Government to undertake an investigation into the numbers of unadopted roads in England and Wales; recognises that many communities find unadopted roads a problem, which is not fully addressed; and further calls on the Government to consider amending section 38 of the Highways Act 1980, to encourage the adoption of unadopted roads and to investigate other courses of action to address the problem.

EDM 182

WORLD OCEANS DAY

That this House welcomes the Marine Ecosystems Recovery Strategy agreed on World Oceans Day in the House of Commons by international parliamentarians attending the GLOBE Commission on Land Use Change and Ecosystems; notes its assessment that our oceans are in crisis through a combination of coastal pollution, over fishing and climate change and that more than one billion people worldwide are at risk from the loss of ecosystem services and food security; further welcomes the Recovery Strategy's call to reduce fleet overcapacity by phasing out the billion per year global subsidy, allocate fishing rights to individuals or communities to incentivise resource conservation and avoid an economically wasteful race to fish, establish a new Global Framework Agreement for marine spatial planning in areas beyond national jurisdiction, progressively increase the network of Marine Protected Areas with effective monitoring and control to 25 per cent. of the world's oceans, mandate the United Nations to undertake a review of the effectiveness of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs), introduce financial and other penalties upon those trading in illegal fish to address the problem of illegal unregulated and unreported catch, implement the UN Fish Stocks Agreement to move RFMOs to a precautionary, ecosystem-based approach to fish stock management; and considers that these measures are not only essential to ensure the recovery of a healthy marine ecosystem but are also vital to ensure the continued profitability of a sustainable fishing industry in the UK that contributes to employment and economic well being.

EDM 179

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

That this House recognises the important contribution and commitment the UK has made to the progress of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); welcomes the Government's commitment to spend 0.7 per cent. of gross national income on overseas aid and to enshrine this commitment in law; further recognises that development benefits often remain out of reach of those who are poorest, most marginalised and affected by conflict; acknowledges that many of the MDGs are off track, especially those relating to maternal, infant and child health; further acknowledges the importance of the G8, G20 and MDG Review in mobilising the international community to achieve the MDG; and trusts that the Government will show strong international leadership in encouraging others in the international community to work towards an MDG rescue plan with clear political and financial commitments, and with every G8 country providing solid national commitments and timetables.

EDM 178

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ACT 2007 PROPOSALS

That this House welcomes the involvement of the many communities and local authorities in the first round of proposals from the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 and is especially heartened by the fact that this has led to people re-engaging in the democratic process; notes that this has resulted in 199 proposals for community sustainability being shortlisted by the Local Government Association; expresses its disappointment that although these proposals were initially submitted by local authorities on 31 July 2009 and were submitted to the then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in December 2009, not one has yet been agreed; is concerned that this delay will cause disillusionment in many communities; further notes that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government, the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst, has supported the introduction of a timetable for dealing with such proposals; and urges the Secretary of State to deal with all such proposals expeditiously.

EDM 175

LABELLING OF PRODUCTS MADE FROM ANIMAL FUR

That this House notes that recent advances in the quality and look of fake fur make it difficult for many consumers to tell the difference between items made with fake fur and those made with real fur; further notes that there is now evidence that consumers are confused and some may be purchasing items made or trimmed with real fur believing the fur to be fake; further notes that some people are allergic to real fur; further notes that laws have been introduced in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Wisconsin requiring all real fur and fur-trimmed clothing to carry a label; and calls on the Government to introduce, as soon as possible and as a measure to protect consumers, legislative proposals for a labelling order requiring all real fur on sale to carry a label that clearly states that the item is made using real animal fur, whether or not it has been dyed, and the country of origin of the fur.

EDM 166

CALL TIME ON HOMOPHOBIA CAMPAIGN

That this House notes that the LBGTLabour event on 5 June 2010 ended prematurely due to homophobia from first a customer and then the management of the Greencoat Boy pub, Westminster; expresses concern that the LBGT group was told its booking would not have been taken if the management had known it was a gay organisation; is appalled that all members of the group were denied service at the venue following a complaint from someone who had made homophobic comments; reaffirms the provisions of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulation 2007 and especially the provision that no person be subject to discrimination in the delivery of goods, facilities and services on the basis of sexual orientation; congratulates the Metropolitan Police for dealing with the matter with the appropriate importance; supports the request from LGBTLabour for an apology from the Greencoat Boy Manager and Punch Taverns Chief Executive, an apology to the other staff working in the venue for being asked not to serve LGBT people, company training for managers of pubs on equality issues, a rainbow flag displayed for London Pride, a prominent Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans-gender People Welcome Here sign and a complimentary event at a Punch Taverns venue of the group's choice; welcomes the statement by Punch Taverns, its unreserved apology, and the news that an investigation into the incident is taking place and a meeting with LGBTLabour has taken place; reaffirms that homophobia has no place in modern Britain; and thanks the thousands of people who have sent supporting messages to the LGBT group.

EDM 160

CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

That this House recognises that 70 per cent. of children with autism develop mental health problems; notes that 10,000 children with autism access child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) every year; further notes that according to new research from the National Autistic Society, CAMHS will not improve the mental health of two thirds of these children; acknowledges the devastating impact this has on children and their families; agrees that CAMHS professionals working with children with autism need to understand autism; congratulates the National Autistic Society for highlighting these issues in its You Need to Know campaign; and urges the Government to take decisive action to improve the support available to children with autism and mental health problems and their families.

EDM 148

EAST MIDLANDS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

That this House applauds the work of the East Midlands Regional Development Agency (EMRDA) in promoting sustainable economic growth across the region by consistently meeting or exceeding its output targets, including directly creating or safeguarding 13,195 jobs, 2,718 businesses, assisting a further 29,819 companies to improve their performance and over 31,209 people their skills and development needs, and remediating 85 hectares of brownfield land; fully recognises the role the EMRDA has played in delivering such results whilst driving down its own administration costs year on year to a level of around only six per cent. of its total operating budget, a factor required by independent performance assessments carried out by the National Audit Office, which found it to be the top performing regional development agency; further notes that a stated aim of the new coalition Government is to rebalance the economy with far more emphasis on manufacturing which in EMRDA's geographical area represents the highest proportion of any English region; and calls on the Government further to recognise this excellent body's achievement of having every £1 of its monies invested generating in excesses of £9 for the East Midlands economy.

EDM 147

FARM ANIMAL WELFARE

That this House recognises the importance of farm animal welfare and opposes any postponement of the planned EU-wide ban on conventional battery cages for laying hens due to come into force in January 2012 and the UK ban on beak trimming of laying hens due to come into force in January 2011; supports those local authorities which no longer use eggs gathered from such caged hens, or which have committed themselves to ending their use or purchase in the near future; and calls on the Government to help establish new higher standards of animal welfare for farm animals by the setting of coterminus criteria linked to food procurement policies in the public sector.

EDM 136

40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE EQUAL PAY ACT

That this House celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act; notes that the Act was introduced following a historic campaign by female Ford workers in Dagenham who were being paid 87 per cent. of the rate paid to male colleagues doing the same work; expresses its deep concern that women working full-time can still expect to earn on average 16.4 per cent. less than men, with the figure rising to 36 per cent. for women working part-time; believes that such a gap is completely unacceptable in the 21st century; welcomes the provisions included in the Equality Act 2010 which aim to close the gender pay gap, including powers to allow the Government to require employers, from 2013, to report on the gender pay gap in their companies; and calls on the Government to demonstrate its commitment to closing the gender pay gap by making equal pay law more transparent and accessible and by introducing mandatory gender pay audits unless significant progress is made swiftly to close the gender pay gap.

EDM 132

FORCED MARRIAGES

That this House acknowledges the excellent work done by the Forced Marriage Unit, the police and local authorities across the country to combat forced marriage and to protect victims of honour-based violence; recognises and welcomes the legal precedent set by Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights, yet regretfully notes the complete lack of prosecutions of perpetrators under the Human Rights Act 1998; further recognises that forced marriage is present across many faiths and cultures and is a growing issue in the United Kingdom; finds it disgraceful that there is no specific criminal offence in England and Wales of forcing someone to marry; and urges the Government to introduce legislative proposals that will criminalise the act of forcing a British citizen into a marriage against their will or without their explicit and freely-given consent.

EDM 128

CARERS

That this House calls on the Government to make an early statement on its policy intentions toward carers; notes the selfless hard work and commitment displayed by the approximately six million carers in the UK; recognises the incalculable difference carers make to the lives of their loved ones; acknowledges that carers save the country an estimated £87 billion each year; and supports an immediate review of the current carers allowance level.

EDM 127

ISRAEL AND GAZA FLOTILLA

That this House is appalled by the loss of life associated with Israel's attack on the flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza; notes that UK and other nationals have been held by Israel despite the attack having taken place in international waters; endorses the call of the United Nations Secretary General for a prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards; recognises that Israel's blockade which has destroyed the economy of Gaza and deepened poverty still inflicts widespread suffering and, by imposing collective punishment on the people of Gaza, is itself contrary to international law; and calls on the international community to require Israel to end its blockade and to redouble international efforts to secure a lasting settlement with a secure and independent state of Palestine alongside a secure and independent Israel.

EDM 116

HUNTING ACT 2004

That this House reaffirms its support for the Hunting Act 2004 and notes that there have been almost 140 convictions under the Act; recognises that the vast majority of the public support the Act across all regional, political, social and religious divides; and therefore believes that any attempt to repeal the Act would be a retrograde step and out of keeping with a civilised society.

EDM 112

HUMAN RIGHTS IN BURMA

That this House sends its best wishes to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who will spend her 65th birthday in detention on 19 June 2010; calls for the immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners in Burma; rejects the elections planned by Burma's generals later this year which, due to election laws and ongoing repression in Burma, cannot be free and fair; condemns Burma's new constitution which is designed to maintain dictatorship in civilian guise and does not grant rights or protection to Burma's ethnic minorities; notes that all diplomatic efforts to reform the dictatorship's sham roadmap to democracy have failed; recalls that the United Nations Security Council, General Assembly, Secretary General and Human Rights Council have all stated that the solution to the problems in Burma lies in dialogue between the dictatorship, Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, and ethnic representatives; and calls on the Government to support a United Nations-led effort to pressure the dictatorship to enter into such dialogue.

EDM 105

ANONYMITY FOR DEFENDANTS IN RAPE CASES

That this House believes that the Government's proposal to grant anonymity to defendants in rape cases sends a message to juries and rape victims that the victim is not to be believed; fears that this could inhibit the effective prosecution of serial rapists; is further concerned that this will reverse the progress made on the prosecution of rape cases noted in the independent Stern Review; is further concerned that the Government has put forward the proposal without any research, evidence or examination of these issues; and calls on the Government to withdraw its proposal.

EDM 79

LEGISLATION FOR FIXED-TERM PARLIAMENTS

That this House calls on the Government to ensure that any Bill to establish a fixed-term Parliament and to change arrangements for Dissolution is published first in draft and then subjected to pre-legislative scrutiny.

EDM 51

DEATHS FROM SMOKING

That this House expresses concern that 100,000 people across the UK die each year as a result of smoking; further expresses concern that smoking kills half of its long-term users, causes half the difference in life expectancy between the richest and poorest in society and that over 80 per cent. of smokers start before the age of 19; notes that it takes on average three to eight attempts to stop smoking; and urges the Government to be unrelenting in its efforts to protect children and tackle inequalities through effective tobacco control.

EDM 42

POLICY ON PUBLIC HOUSES

That this House recognises the vital importance of British pubs to the social and economic life of local communities and urges the Government, beer and pub industry and others to work together to do all they can to protect and promote them; notes that pubs have been hit hard by beer duty increases of more than 26 per cent. in the last two years, with dozens of pubs closing every week; calls on the Government to support pubs by reforming the way beer is taxed to reflect its place as the national drink and as a lower strength drink, which is the bedrock of community pubs; and further calls on the Government to ensure that should there be any value added tax rise in the forthcoming budget it is offset by a parallel reduction in duty as a targeted measure to help community pubs.

EDM 18

DEFERRAL OF IMPROVEMENTS TO THE A453

That this House notes with concern the Government's decision not to proceed with much needed improvements to the A453 road between the M1 and the City of Nottingham; believes that the resultant congestion and traffic delays are a restraint on the economic prospects, safety and convenience of millions of people across Nottinghamshire; calls on the Department for Transport urgently to re-consider the need for this crucial transport investment; and urges Ministers to consider the potentially damaging ramifications for the linked tram public transport improvements if key elements of the A453 upgrade plans do not proceed.

EDM 14

CARERS WEEK 2010

That this House expresses its respect for the six million people of all ages in the UK who provide unpaid help, care and support to a relative or friend who, because of frailty, illness or disability, would not otherwise be able to manage; notes that despite the huge contribution carers make to society, many carers continue to remain unsupported in their caring roles without the chance of a break or respite; is concerned that many carers are hidden, unheard and unable to access relevant and practical advice, information and services; further notes that Carers Week, a partnership of national charities, takes place this year from 14 to 20 June, with the theme A life of my own; and believes that without significant reform of the care and support system carers will not be able to access support at times of crisis, will not be able to work, which has a lasting impact on the economy, and will not have the chance of a life of their own that they deserve.

EDM 13

THE PROSTATE CANCER CHARITY

That this House notes that prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men, with over 35,000 men in the UK diagnosed with the disease each year; is concerned that a significant proportion of men affected by prostate cancer report that they receive inadequate support to help them cope with the disease; applauds the work that The Prostate Cancer Charity does to promote improved prostate cancer care and provide support and information; and welcomes commitments to reduce inequalities in support, outcomes, research and early detection of prostate cancer in the Charity's Pledge for Prostate Cancer.

EDM 12

TALKING BUSES CAMPAIGN

That this House, acknowledging the role of accessible local bus services in the mobility of disabled people, recognises that the lack of audio visual information systems on buses makes those services difficult to use for many people; supports the Talking Buses campaign led by Guide Dogs and supported by 20 other national organisations; and calls on the Government to amend the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations to require audible and visual information systems on all new buses, which would announce next stop and final destination information.