CELEBRATION OF ST. PATRICK'S DAY IN MONTSERRAT

Motion Text

That this House joins the people of the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat in celebrating St Patrick's Day on 17th March 2006; recognises the shared heritage and special relationship between the peoples of the United Kingdom and Montserrat that dates back to Christopher Columbus's epic journey in 1493; notes the resilient nature of those living on the Emerald Island of the Caribbean to recover and prosper following the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano in 1997; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to continue to strengthen the close constitutional, economic and cultural ties that bind the peoples of Montserrat and the United Kingdom together.