BIG RIDE FROM EDINBURGH TO LONDON

That this House congratulates the organisers of the Big Ride, a sponsored cycle from Edinburgh to London in August which aims to raise aid for children in Gaza; believes that up to a thousand cyclists will take part and that £100,000 will be raised and donated to the Middle East Children's Alliance, a non-profit organisation working for the rights of children in the Middle East; notes that the money will be used to help support and rebuild children's lives damaged as a result of the Israeli assault on Gaza in July 2014 and the seven-year blockade of the Strip; further notes that the 474-mile ride through secondary roads will bring the message of the continuing suffering of Palestinians in Gaza to hundreds of thousands of people; and urges the Government to bring all the efforts it can to persuade Israel and Egypt to end the siege and allow the people to return to normal lives.