ST. PATRICK'S DAY IN MONTSERRAT

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