CELEBRATION OF 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 17 March 2010; recognises the shared heritage and special relationship between the peoples of the UK 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 on the Government to continue to strengthen the close constitutional, economic and cultural ties that bind the peoples of Montserrat and the United Kingdom together, as well as cherishing the shared bond represented by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State and Sovereign.