THE CENTENARY OF THE BIRTH OF LEONARD CHESHIRE

That this House commemorates the centenary of the birth of Leonard Cheshire, born on 7 September 1917; notes his significant achievements as a decorated officer in the Second World War, including leading No.617 Squadron, the Dambusters, and being awarded the Victoria Cross in 1944; recognises Leonard Cheshire's desire to help make the world a better place following the Second World War by undertaking a lifetime of humanitarian work with disabled people; celebrates his founding of the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability in 1948, an organisation which now supports over 20,000 people with disabilities around the world every year; understands that there are more than 11 million disabled people in the UK today and that one in six people will be affected by disability at some point in their life; acknowledges the vital importance of Leonard Cheshire Disability's work to support disabled people; and wishes the charity every success in its future endeavours.