LAUNCH OF FRIENDS OF THE LINES OF TORRES VEDRAS

That this House notes that 2010 is the 200th anniversary of the Lines of Torres Vedras, the extensive Peninsular War defensive works organised by the future Duke of Wellington and built by his engineers with a Portuguese workforce, which successfully protected Lisbon from the French invading army; recognises the anniversary year as an opportunity to further understanding and co-operation between the United Kingdom and its oldest ally, Portugal, and their respective parliaments; welcomes the visit to Parliament of Dr Jaime Gama, the President of the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic, to attend the launch of the proposed Friends of the Lines of Torres Vedras; and calls on the Government to ensure the anniversary is suitably commemorated in an appropriate way.