§ Mr. Simon Hughes (Southwark, North and Bermondsey)It gives me great pleasure to present a petition on behalf of the National Service Veterans Alliance in relation to the 2.2 million of our fellow citizens—all men—conscripted for national service between 1945 and 1963—[Interruption.] The hon. Member for Greenock and Inverclyde (Dr. Godman) says that he was among them—so were my two older brothers.
Like many colleagues, I support the objective of the petitioners. The petition states:
The Petition of We the Citizens of the United Kingdom who support the reasons set out in the declaration below.Declare that We support the tangible recognition of National Servicemen conscripted between the end of World War Two and the cessation of National Service 1963.The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons support the following two remedies:
- 1. The award of a National Service Medal to every man conscripted for National Service irrespective of where he served.
- 2. The erection of a National Monument to Peace recognising the contribution played by the two million two hundred thousand of the Nation's young Men conscripted to guard that Peace.
And We the Petitioners respectfully trust this Petition worthy of consideration by the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled.There are 10,000 petitioners and it is with great pleasure that I present their petition to Parliament.
§ To lie upon the Table.