HISTORIC COUNTIES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

That this House recognises that the historic counties of the United Kingdom are an important part of the history, geography and cultural life of the nation; acknowledges that the United Kingdom requires a fixed popular geographical framework which is divorced from the ever-changing local government administrative boundaries, instead being rooted in history, public understanding and commonly held notions of community and identity; believes that the historic counties are the only choice for such a geographical framework; and therefore calls upon the Government to direct the Ordnance Survey properly to mark the boundaries of the historic counties on its maps, to produce regulations which will ensure that the boundaries of all the historic counties are clearly marked by appropriate boundary signs at places where they cross major highways, to amend local government terminology so that the word county, as it applies to local government areas, is amended to the more appropriate phrase administrative county, and to return the ceremonial office of Lord Lieutenant to the areas of the historic counties.