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:00:00. > :00:00.who are role models to others with disabilities and to make a real

:00:00. > :00:07.service to this Government of hope they will continue to do so in the

:00:08. > :00:13.years ahead. We now come to the motion for an address to Her Majesty

:00:14. > :00:19.on the occasion of her 90th birthday. To move the motion, I

:00:20. > :00:23.called the Prime Minister. Mr Speaker, I beg to move the motion on

:00:24. > :00:27.the order paper that stands in my name and that of the Leader of the

:00:28. > :00:31.Opposition and the leader of the Scottish National party. Mr Speaker,

:00:32. > :00:36.today we celebrate the 90th birthday of our country's longest reigning

:00:37. > :00:41.monarch. Her Majesty The Queen, our Queen, has lived a life of service

:00:42. > :00:47.that began long before her accession to the throne. In 1940, just 14

:00:48. > :00:54.years old, the then then Princess Elizabeth made her first BBC radio

:00:55. > :00:56.broadcasts to bring comfort and hope to children who had been evacuated

:00:57. > :00:59.from Britain's cities during the war. At 18, she became the first

:01:00. > :01:07.female member of the Royal family to join the Armed Forces by training as

:01:08. > :01:10.a driver and mechanic. And at just 21, she means that exquisite and

:01:11. > :01:16.defining broadcasts from Cape Town in which she uttered those famous

:01:17. > :01:21.words, saying and I quote, my whole life, whether it be long or short,

:01:22. > :01:24.shall be devoted to your service. Mr Speaker, never has such an

:01:25. > :01:31.extraordinary promise been so profoundly for fills. As I said when

:01:32. > :01:34.we gathered in September to celebrate her length of rain, for

:01:35. > :01:39.all of us in this chamber who seek to play our part in public service,

:01:40. > :01:42.it is truly humbling to comprehend the scale of service that Her

:01:43. > :01:48.Majesty has given to our country over so many years. If you think of

:01:49. > :01:54.the vital landmark in completing our journey to democracy, when everyone

:01:55. > :02:01.over 21 was finally given the vote in 1928, it means that Her Majesty

:02:02. > :02:06.has provided over -- presided over two thirds of our history as a

:02:07. > :02:09.democracy. She has met a quarter of all the American president since

:02:10. > :02:13.independence. She has provided counsel to no fewer than 12 prime

:02:14. > :02:17.ministers and that is just in Britain. She has worked with over

:02:18. > :02:22.150 prime ministers in other roles so if anyone can come up with a

:02:23. > :02:25.collective noun for a group of prime ministers, it is probably Her

:02:26. > :02:29.Majesty and I think I will leave it to her to make some suggestions. I

:02:30. > :02:34.know that like me, every Prime Minister has found her counsel and

:02:35. > :02:36.incredibly valuable part of the job. Our prospective and let of

:02:37. > :02:42.experience is unique and utterly invaluable. Her first Prime Minister

:02:43. > :02:46.in 1952 was Winston Churchill. Like him and all those who have followed,

:02:47. > :02:50.I can testify that she is quite simple of the best audiences in the

:02:51. > :02:53.world will stop there is no one else in public life that any Prime

:02:54. > :02:56.Minister can be read speak to in total confidence and no other

:02:57. > :03:00.country has a head of state with such wisdom and such patients. Mr

:03:01. > :03:06.Speaker, there are some who suspect that at times I may have put her

:03:07. > :03:09.patients to the test. In the play The Audience the character who

:03:10. > :03:14.Bursaries me goes on and on about Europe for so long that she falls

:03:15. > :03:18.asleep but I can guarantee that has never really happens. I may not have

:03:19. > :03:22.kept my promise not to bang on about Europe in every forum, but this is

:03:23. > :03:27.the one where I tried the hardest. Of course, as has pointed out, she

:03:28. > :03:30.is now entering her 10th decade. Her Majesty is starting to take things a

:03:31. > :03:36.little easier which is why in the last year alone, she has only

:03:37. > :03:39.undertaken 177 public engagements. In 90 years, Her Majesty has lived

:03:40. > :03:44.through some extraordinary times in our world. From the Second World War

:03:45. > :03:47.when her parents were nearly killed as bombs dropped on Buckingham

:03:48. > :03:52.Palace, to the rations with which she bought the material for her

:03:53. > :03:57.wedding dress, to presenting the World Cup to England in Wembley in

:03:58. > :04:01.19 6262 man landed on the Moon three years later. From the end of the

:04:02. > :04:05.Cold War to peace in Northern Ireland. Throughout it all, as the

:04:06. > :04:11.sounds of culture shift and the tides of politics at Banff flow, Her

:04:12. > :04:14.Majesty has been steadfast, a rock of strength for our nation,

:04:15. > :04:20.Commonwealth and sometimes for the whole world. As her grandson has

:04:21. > :04:24.said, time and again, quietly and modestly, the Queen has sold us all

:04:25. > :04:28.that we can confidently embrace the future without compromising the

:04:29. > :04:35.things that are important. As Her Majesty said in her first televised

:04:36. > :04:39.Christmas broadcast in 1957, it is necessary to hold fast to

:04:40. > :04:43.fundamental ideas and principles and this requires a special kind of

:04:44. > :04:48.courage which makes us stand up for everything we know is right,

:04:49. > :04:52.everything which is true and honest. In this modern Elizabethan era, Her

:04:53. > :04:57.Majesty has led a gentle evolution of our more keen. From that first

:04:58. > :05:00.televised Christmas Day message over three decades before cameras were

:05:01. > :05:04.allowed into this House, to the opening up of the royal palaces,

:05:05. > :05:09.invention of the royal walkabout, she has brought the monarchy closer

:05:10. > :05:12.to the people while also maintaining its dignity. Her role as supreme

:05:13. > :05:16.Governor of the church of England has also been incredibly important

:05:17. > :05:20.to her. She has often said that her life is inspired not only by her

:05:21. > :05:24.love of this great country but also by her faith in God will stop as she

:05:25. > :05:30.said, I know that the only way to live my life is to do what is right

:05:31. > :05:36.to take the long view, to give of my best in all the day brings and to

:05:37. > :05:39.put my trust in God. Added that it up for Christianity, she has been

:05:40. > :05:45.clear that the Church of England has a duty to protect the free practice

:05:46. > :05:48.of all faiths in our country. Mr Speaker, Her Majesty always performs

:05:49. > :05:53.her constitutional treaty as head of state in impeccable but as head of

:05:54. > :05:58.our nation, she has held in even higher regard for how she represents

:05:59. > :06:01.the United Kingdom. It has rightly been said by some constitutional

:06:02. > :06:06.experts that Her Majesty The Queen is the only person born in the

:06:07. > :06:09.United Kingdom who is neither a English, Scottish, Welsh, or

:06:10. > :06:13.Northern Irish. She is all and none of these things and can represent

:06:14. > :06:19.all the nations of the United Kingdom on an equal basis in a way

:06:20. > :06:23.that no president ever occurred. She is also constantly represented the

:06:24. > :06:26.nation to its self when abroad. Foreign leaders from President

:06:27. > :06:32.Truman to nuzzle Mandela and Ronald Reagan have all testified to her

:06:33. > :06:36.extraordinary ability to represent this country and understand the

:06:37. > :06:42.world -- Nelson Mandela. On the Hercules take visit to Ireland in

:06:43. > :06:44.2011, she began her results in Irish and spoke about the history of the

:06:45. > :06:50.troubled relationship between the UK and Ireland. She did so with a

:06:51. > :06:54.kindness as well as authority that went far beyond anything that would

:06:55. > :06:58.be possible for an elected politician. As a diplomat and

:06:59. > :07:05.ambassador for the United Kingdom, she has represented our country on

:07:06. > :07:08.266 official visits to 116 different countries. As I saw again at the

:07:09. > :07:11.Commonwealth heads of Government meeting in Malta last year, she has

:07:12. > :07:16.made an extraordinary contribution to the future of our Commonwealth,

:07:17. > :07:22.growing it from eight members in 1952 to 53 today. In doing so, she

:07:23. > :07:26.has helped to grow a family of nations that spans every continent,

:07:27. > :07:30.all main religions, a quarter of the members of the United Nations and

:07:31. > :07:34.nearly one third of the world's population. The reach of Her

:07:35. > :07:37.Majesty's diplomacy is without parallel, so much so that as a

:07:38. > :07:41.result of a visit to Balmoral, she can claim to be the only woman ever

:07:42. > :07:46.to have driven the King of Saudi Arabia around in a car. I have that

:07:47. > :07:51.story sourced from both of the participant! Through it all, Her

:07:52. > :07:54.Majesty has carried herself with the most extraordinary grace and

:07:55. > :07:58.humility. When people meet the Queen, they talk about it for the

:07:59. > :08:02.rest of their lives. She understands that ensures a genuine interest in

:08:03. > :08:06.all though she meets. They can see that she cares. As the

:08:07. > :08:09.constitutional historian Vernon Bogle has said, Her Majesty

:08:10. > :08:12.understands what might be called the soul of the British people. Mr

:08:13. > :08:18.Speaker, Her Majesty has done so much throughout her life that when

:08:19. > :08:22.it comes to her 90th birthday, there cannot be much that is new for her

:08:23. > :08:25.to try but I'm pleased to hear that she will sample the orange drizzle

:08:26. > :08:30.cake baked by the winner of the Great British Bake Off winner Nadia

:08:31. > :08:36.Hussain. She will be joined as ever by her family including her son, the

:08:37. > :08:39.Prince of Wales and her husband the Prince of Edinburgh who have stood

:08:40. > :08:44.by her side throughout her reign. They have both served this country

:08:45. > :08:49.with an unshakeable sense of Judy. The Prince of Edinburgh's award team

:08:50. > :08:53.has inspired millions of people around the world. As we have seen in

:08:54. > :08:56.those delightful portraits released this week, family has always been at

:08:57. > :09:03.the heart of Her Majesty's long life. Mr Speaker, we are uniquely

:09:04. > :09:07.blessed in our country. Her Majesty's service is extraordinary

:09:08. > :09:11.and it is a joy for us all to celebrate, to cherish, and to

:09:12. > :09:15.honour. In June, the whole country will serve in the special milestone

:09:16. > :09:20.with a service in St Paul's Cathedral and April Street party.

:09:21. > :09:24.But for today, I know the whole house and the whole country will

:09:25. > :09:28.want to join me in wishing Her Majesty The Queen health, happiness

:09:29. > :09:37.and above all a very special 90th birthday. Order, the question is

:09:38. > :09:42.that our humble address be delivered to Her Majesty. I call the Leader of

:09:43. > :09:48.the Opposition, Mr Jeremy Corbyn. Thank you. It is a pleasure to

:09:49. > :09:52.second be humble address. Many people across the country today will

:09:53. > :09:56.be wishing Her Majesty a very happy 90th birthday and these benches send

:09:57. > :10:02.our warmest greetings to add to that. May I say, as a relatively

:10:03. > :10:10.young whippersnapper, I am fully in favour of our country having readers

:10:11. > :10:15.of a fine vintage. -- leaders. Today we are talking about a highly

:10:16. > :10:18.respected individual who is 90 and whatever differing views people

:10:19. > :10:23.across this country have about the institution, the vast majority share

:10:24. > :10:28.an opinion that Her Majesty has served this country and has

:10:29. > :10:32.overwhelming support with a clear sense of public service and public

:10:33. > :10:37.duty as the Prime Minister just indicated. She has carried out that

:10:38. > :10:43.duty with enormous warmth. My dear friend Mildred Gordon, former member

:10:44. > :10:47.who recently died aged 92 and whose funeral is tomorrow, met the Queen

:10:48. > :10:51.at the opening of the Docklands light Railway. The Queen asked her

:10:52. > :10:56.how she was getting on as a newly roulette did MP and Mildred replied

:10:57. > :11:00.with the devastating honesty she always used that she had very little

:11:01. > :11:06.power to help her constituents. The Queen to occur on one side and with

:11:07. > :11:16.her customary wit said, once they find out you're lot can't help them,

:11:17. > :11:23.they will write to me! Her Majesty was born less than one month before

:11:24. > :11:27.the general strike. The first otter who would later and unexpectedly

:11:28. > :11:30.become heir to the throne was born two years as the Prime Minister

:11:31. > :11:37.pointed out before all women in Britain got the vote. Her childhood

:11:38. > :11:40.was during the poverty of the 1930s, her two new shears to the brutal

:11:41. > :11:47.carnage of the Second World War and at awards and, she experienced

:11:48. > :11:49.first-hand the joy of people as the young people walked through the

:11:50. > :11:53.streets of London. A very moving oral history that I'm very pleased

:11:54. > :12:00.was replayed on Radio 4 this morning.

:12:01. > :12:07.She became Queen at just 25 years old following the death of her

:12:08. > :12:11.father. She has reigned for nearly 64 years, the longest reigning

:12:12. > :12:16.monarch in our history. At that time, in our time, the country has

:12:17. > :12:21.become a better and more civilised place. We have enacted equality

:12:22. > :12:24.legislation and ended colonialism. We treated the National Health

:12:25. > :12:29.Service, the wealthy state and the open University. And as head of the

:12:30. > :12:34.Commonwealth, she has been a defender of this incredible

:12:35. > :12:37.multicultural, global 's decision, from which we are all very grateful,

:12:38. > :12:40.the way she stood up for the Commonwealth and visited every

:12:41. > :12:44.country in the Commonwealth. The Prime Minister was quite right to

:12:45. > :12:48.draw attention to her historic visit to Ireland in 2011 and the way she

:12:49. > :12:54.spoke in the Irish language at the reception that was held for hire in

:12:55. > :13:05.Dublin during that visit. Today, Mr Speaker, I welcome to more than

:13:06. > :13:11.knowledge -- people from my constituency here. Iris was born in

:13:12. > :13:16.what is now the Republic of Ireland but was then part of Britain. She

:13:17. > :13:20.came to London in 1951 before the coronation and was a clown civil

:13:21. > :13:25.servant in the Inland Revenue. She has helped collect taxes ever since

:13:26. > :13:27.1951, which has helped to keep us all in a state to which we are

:13:28. > :13:35.accustomed. George Ford in the Second World War, serving in the 1st

:13:36. > :13:39.Battalion with the rifle Brigade, and had a daily close affinity with

:13:40. > :13:52.Her Majesty wrote his working life. -- George fought. Yesterday, I was

:13:53. > :13:55.present at the graduation of a 91 euros constituent who has just

:13:56. > :14:01.completed her third-degree, a Masters, no less. It proves you're

:14:02. > :14:10.never too late to take up a new career and learn something else. It

:14:11. > :14:13.is the generation, the Queen's generation and my parents'

:14:14. > :14:19.generation that defeated the horrors of fascism in Europe. He built a

:14:20. > :14:25.more civilised and equal Britain. We have much to be grateful for to that

:14:26. > :14:31.generation. On her coronation in 1953, Her Majesty was driven through

:14:32. > :14:33.a street in my borough. Her crowning achievement in Islington was to come

:14:34. > :14:39.some years later. You will enjoy this, Mr Speaker. In 2006, she was

:14:40. > :14:43.due to open the new Emirates Stadium in my constituency but had to pull

:14:44. > :14:48.out due to an injury. Unfortunately, this is a fate that has collected

:14:49. > :14:53.far too many of Arsenal's squad in subsequent years. So we must

:14:54. > :14:59.congratulate her on her prescience. My honourable friend was then the

:15:00. > :15:04.leader of Islington Council. As the Queen could not attend the opening,

:15:05. > :15:06.they were invited to Buckingham Palace and she accompanied the whole

:15:07. > :15:11.squad to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen. We know that the Queen is

:15:12. > :15:16.absolutely above politics. She might be about football as well but many

:15:17. > :15:26.locals harbour of this quite secret view that she is actually,

:15:27. > :15:38.privately, a Gooner. In her reign, she has seen off 12 Prime Ministers.

:15:39. > :15:42.Whilst recently I attended my first state dinner, she has received over

:15:43. > :15:48.100 state visits and visited, as Prime Minister well over 100

:15:49. > :15:52.countries on our behalf. I admire her energy, wish her well in her

:15:53. > :16:04.continuing and a Standing Committee public life. I can wish her a very

:16:05. > :16:12.happy 90th birthday. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker,

:16:13. > :16:17.first of all, may I associate myself with the excellent tribute of the

:16:18. > :16:21.Prime Minister to the Queen. And me I, on behalf of myself and my

:16:22. > :16:29.constituents, congratulate the Queen on this great milestone in a life of

:16:30. > :16:35.service and punctilious Judy dedicated entirely to her people in

:16:36. > :16:44.the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. -- duty. And as they

:16:45. > :16:52.must for most Ambassador this country has ever had. It has been a

:16:53. > :17:00.life of devotion and fortitude and good judgment, selfless duty, great

:17:01. > :17:04.humour and uncomplaining hard work. In all this, she has been supported

:17:05. > :17:09.by a loving family and blessed with a very happy marriage to her

:17:10. > :17:18.remarkable consort, who has done so much for her and our country. The

:17:19. > :17:24.Queen was crowned in the same Abbey Church as was William the Conqueror.

:17:25. > :17:32.At the age of 26, the same age as the first Queen Elizabeth 400 years

:17:33. > :17:38.earlier. And she embodies all the best qualities that are mostly

:17:39. > :17:43.important to our country and lends such distinction to our nation. The

:17:44. > :17:47.Queen brings to our national life and experience and knowledge of

:17:48. > :17:52.Government and events and of men and women all over the world wishes

:17:53. > :17:58.truly unrivalled by any other person in the land. Throughout her long

:17:59. > :18:06.reign, she has displayed judgment of the first order, great tolerance and

:18:07. > :18:13.absolute neutrality at all times. Mr Speaker, when she ascended to the

:18:14. > :18:29.throne, her first trimester, Winston Churchill, was of an age to have

:18:30. > :18:36.charged with the 21st line sees -- lances in 1800. Present Prime

:18:37. > :18:43.Minister was not even born 60 years ago. It has been an extraordinary 90

:18:44. > :18:48.years of some of the most tumultuous, social and technological

:18:49. > :18:56.change Britain has ever seen. She has provided a very firm hand. She

:18:57. > :19:01.is a source of powerful influence for this country throughout the

:19:02. > :19:06.world. She is the Queen of 16 countries, including Canada,

:19:07. > :19:11.Australia and New Zealand and the head of the Commonwealth, a greatly

:19:12. > :19:16.undervalued organisation that includes more than one quarter of

:19:17. > :19:21.the world's population. She thus brings a vital and often

:19:22. > :19:27.unrecognised edition -- addition to our efforts overseas. I think we

:19:28. > :19:30.should pay great tribute to the work that she has done down the years in

:19:31. > :19:37.that remarkable organisation since 1949. Every country, Mr Speaker,

:19:38. > :19:46.need someone who can represent the whole nation. It might seem

:19:47. > :19:51.primitive, and indeed it is, but if nationhood is to mean anything, it

:19:52. > :19:57.has to have a focus. In our case, for many years now, that focus has

:19:58. > :20:02.been and remains the Queen. The nations do have values and they

:20:03. > :20:06.should be proud of them and be willing to express our pride. And

:20:07. > :20:14.that is what we are able to do with our monarchy and with our Queen. Mr

:20:15. > :20:19.Speaker, it is my firmly held belief that the Queen is the single most

:20:20. > :20:28.important, respected, at my ad and loved public figure in the world

:20:29. > :20:31.today. And I will, if I may, concluded with something I have told

:20:32. > :20:37.you before but it bears repeating. On the night of the 4th of April,

:20:38. > :20:43.1955, on the eve of his resignation as Prime Minister, Churchill gave a

:20:44. > :20:48.dinner at Number 10 in honour of the Queen. It was agreed between the

:20:49. > :20:58.private offices that there would be no speeches. But the Queen, greatly

:20:59. > :21:04.moved by the impending retirement of her first by Minister, who she had

:21:05. > :21:12.knowledge and she was a very small child, rose in her place and lifted

:21:13. > :21:19.her glass with a toast, to my Prime Minister. And truck very old man, in

:21:20. > :21:26.the field dress evening in a form of a night of the Garter, completely

:21:27. > :21:33.unprepared, pulled herself to his feet. This is what he said to the

:21:34. > :21:42.Queen. He said, madam, I propose a toast to your Majesty. I used to

:21:43. > :21:47.drink as an officer in Bangalore, India, in the reign of your

:21:48. > :21:52.Majesty's great, great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. And I drink to the

:21:53. > :21:59.wise and kindly way of life of which your Majesty is the young and

:22:00. > :22:07.climbing champion. -- gleaming champion. For the 90 years for life

:22:08. > :22:12.and 60 plus years of her reign, she has always been the same. God Save

:22:13. > :22:16.The Queen. It is an honour to co-sponsor to

:22:17. > :22:20.the's motion with the Prime Minister, the Leader of the

:22:21. > :22:24.Opposition and follow on from the right honourable gentleman who spoke

:22:25. > :22:30.so eloquently. I would like to put on record the appreciation of people

:22:31. > :22:32.in Scotland to Her Majesty. She has had a light in connection with these

:22:33. > :22:39.people and the coming into the country. -- lifetime connection.

:22:40. > :22:44.Well she has served as head of state are marketable 32 independent

:22:45. > :22:49.countries in her unprecedented rain, her association with Scotland is

:22:50. > :22:52.enduring and it is special. Just last year, the Queen and the Duke of

:22:53. > :22:58.Edinburgh marked the day she became the UK's longest reigning monarch

:22:59. > :23:02.with a steam train ride from Edinburgh for the opening of the new

:23:03. > :23:07.Borders Railway. When she was born, she was delivered by a Scottish

:23:08. > :23:14.nurse and since then has been making regular visits north of the border.

:23:15. > :23:17.Her youngest days were spent in Angus, where her mother and

:23:18. > :23:24.grandparents were from. Much of her childhood was spent at Balmoral on

:23:25. > :23:27.part of our honeymoon was nearby. One of our first official tasks on

:23:28. > :23:36.becoming Queen after the death of her father, King Georges sixth, was

:23:37. > :23:40.to plant a cherry tree at the parish church of Holyrood house. After her

:23:41. > :23:44.coronation, crowds lined this treats of the Scottish capital as the Queen

:23:45. > :23:53.received the honours in Scotland, the Scottish crown, sceptre and

:23:54. > :23:59.sword of state. And the 1950s, there were concerns about how Her Majesty

:24:00. > :24:03.could be Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland when we had not had Queen

:24:04. > :24:07.Elizabeth the first. And elegant solution was found in postboxes

:24:08. > :24:14.north of the border, where there is a Scottish Crown rather than the

:24:15. > :24:23.Royal cipher. ERII She has been a regular visitor to Scotland. The

:24:24. > :24:27.most remarkable for me was in 1999 reopening of the Scottish parliament

:24:28. > :24:32.after recess of nearly 300 years. Who can forget the entire chamber

:24:33. > :24:42.collar all MSPs of all parties, public gallery, Her Majesty and Duke

:24:43. > :24:45.of Edinburgh, all singing Robert Burns. As head of the Commonwealth,

:24:46. > :24:50.she attended the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

:24:51. > :24:54.Always good with keeping up with The Times, Majesty went viral on Twitter

:24:55. > :25:02.following a trip to the Glasgow National hockey centre after

:25:03. > :25:07.appearing to photo, selfie -- photo bomb a selfie with its Chilean

:25:08. > :25:12.player in the background. There is an appreciation that it is at

:25:13. > :25:16.Balmoral that she likes to be most. Queen Victoria described Balmoral as

:25:17. > :25:22.her heaven on earth. The current Queen is said to be never happier

:25:23. > :25:25.than spending her summer break in the north-east estate. Her private

:25:26. > :25:30.home, which was handed down through generations of Royals. The usual

:25:31. > :25:42.two-month stay in August and September, traditionally includes a

:25:43. > :25:47.visit to the Highland Games... Her Majesty has also had a love of the

:25:48. > :25:53.Hebrides and cruising around the islands and coastline. One story I

:25:54. > :25:59.particularly recall is from 2006, when the royal party were murdered

:26:00. > :26:05.off the West Coast of Kintyre. The Queen wanted to see the famous

:26:06. > :26:08.gardens. But no advance arrangements had been made. So, Princess Anne

:26:09. > :26:13.apparently cycled to the local newsagents to see if there was a way

:26:14. > :26:17.that her mother could be transported around. That Julie happened in the

:26:18. > :26:24.people carrier of the newsagent by the newsagent. That must have been a

:26:25. > :26:28.sight to behold. There are legion of stories from tourists and visitors

:26:29. > :26:33.encountering a lady bearing a striking resemblance to her modesty

:26:34. > :26:39.walking her dogs alone at after's seat in Edinburgh, or offering them

:26:40. > :26:44.a lift as she drove her Land Rover around. I'm sure my colleague, the

:26:45. > :26:47.member for West Aberdeenshire and can garden, might have more of these

:26:48. > :26:57.stories the recount. Her Majesty's connections to

:26:58. > :27:05.Aberdeenshire are many. She read the Aberdeen Journal and we've heard

:27:06. > :27:12.that she is an accomplished speaker of the Doric, which is no mean feat.

:27:13. > :27:17.She also leads small and large companies and businesses including

:27:18. > :27:22.Speyside firms. In total, there are more than 80 companies holding royal

:27:23. > :27:28.warrants and no doubt many more would want to hold them as well. Mr

:27:29. > :27:31.Speaker, a 90th birthday is a remarkable milestone for all who

:27:32. > :27:36.reach it but particularly for our head of state and her ongoing

:27:37. > :27:40.lifetime of head of service. We wish her, the Duke of Edinburgh and all

:27:41. > :27:48.of her family well and look forward to many further years of outstanding

:27:49. > :27:52.public service. Thank you, Mr Speaker for calling me on what I

:27:53. > :27:55.think is a momentous day to celebrate the birthday of our

:27:56. > :28:05.longest serving monarch. I have to say that it is also today that I

:28:06. > :28:10.celebrate my birthday. Although a little younger than Her Majesty, I

:28:11. > :28:14.feel that a Beatles song would be most appropriate if I find it among

:28:15. > :28:18.my birthday presents. I have always been immensely proud to share the

:28:19. > :28:24.date of my birth with our monarch. When I was very little in Cardiff,

:28:25. > :28:29.my father always used to kids me that the 24 gun salute was in fact

:28:30. > :28:35.for me. I did find out fairly shortly that it was for a much more

:28:36. > :28:39.importantly. Like many here today, I am a modern Elizabethan and we have

:28:40. > :28:44.never known any other monarch and we are staunchly proud to live in the

:28:45. > :28:47.reign of Queen Elizabeth II. She is truly a beacon and an exemplar of

:28:48. > :28:53.dedication to the people of the United Kingdom and an exemplar of

:28:54. > :28:58.dedication to duty. She is also a wonderful role model for women not

:28:59. > :29:02.just in this country but around the world, particularly as women try to

:29:03. > :29:09.take their place in public life and to have a voice in the Government of

:29:10. > :29:13.their countries. In this House, and in Parliament, we know about public

:29:14. > :29:17.service. But none of us will ever equal what our queen does as a

:29:18. > :29:22.matter of course in caring for all the people of this kingdom and

:29:23. > :29:25.across the globe in the countries of the Commonwealth. The Queen's

:29:26. > :29:30.achievement in drawing together all the countries of the Commonwealth

:29:31. > :29:34.for their mutual support and benefit is truly magnificent. It is a

:29:35. > :29:38.notable achievement I think in this day and age and one which is a

:29:39. > :29:45.testament to her gentle guardianship and powerful advocacy. Mr Speaker,

:29:46. > :29:49.the poet John Milton lived for a while in my constituency and his

:29:50. > :29:53.cottage is still there, preserved as a monument to his work. He was a

:29:54. > :29:58.parliamentarian and a person who argued against the restoration of

:29:59. > :30:02.the monarchy. A servant of the then Commonwealth, but I would like to

:30:03. > :30:06.think that had John Milton known our monarch, he would have altered his

:30:07. > :30:13.view. As it is, I turned to his words. He wrote about Shakespeare,

:30:14. > :30:16.whose 400 set anniversary we celebrate in two days, that is the

:30:17. > :30:23.boredom playwright needed no monument. He said, in our wonder and

:30:24. > :30:28.astonishment, have built myself a lifelong monument. Mr Speaker,

:30:29. > :30:33.through a long life with the welfare of her people always at the heart

:30:34. > :30:36.and centre of her being, Her Majesty The Queen has created such a

:30:37. > :30:41.monument. This place is often described as the mother of

:30:42. > :30:46.Parliaments that Her Majesty is truly the mother of our

:30:47. > :30:52.parliamentary democracy and easily commands our love and respect. Long

:30:53. > :31:02.may the Queen rule over us and, your Majesty, a very happy birthday to.

:31:03. > :31:09.Mr Speaker, this morning when I was buying my muffin in portcullis

:31:10. > :31:19.house, I noticed on the claimant with which I paid, Elizabeth II. But

:31:20. > :31:28.today is not about the Elizabeth on our coins. Today is about the

:31:29. > :31:35.Elizabeth in our hearts. She is of course Her Majesty The Queen but

:31:36. > :31:43.today is not a royal occasion, though it is an occasion about a

:31:44. > :31:52.royal. Turning 90 is a marvellous signpost in life, as I hope to

:31:53. > :31:58.anticipate myself before too long. Not long ago, one of my sisters

:31:59. > :32:04.turned 19 and we had a huge family celebration -- 90. And today, the

:32:05. > :32:12.National family is celebrating very much including this House. I

:32:13. > :32:18.remember the celebrations for King George the's Silver Jubilee. I was

:32:19. > :32:25.five years old at the time and I was in hospital recovering from having

:32:26. > :32:29.my tonsils out. -- King George V. I remember the ceremony of the Jubilee

:32:30. > :32:38.being broadcast on the wireless throughout the ward. This ceremony

:32:39. > :32:49.was of course very impressive even to somebody of my age, but it was

:32:50. > :32:52.respected but remote. Over the generations, Her Majesty The Queen's

:32:53. > :33:00.family has had its share of visits to choose, some handled with greater

:33:01. > :33:07.adroitness than others. But over these years, Her Majesty The Queen

:33:08. > :33:15.has sustained and increased the potency of the monarchy and that

:33:16. > :33:20.emerges from her own personality. That emerges from the fact that not

:33:21. > :33:30.only has she been brought up to serve, but it is her instinct to

:33:31. > :33:36.serve and to associate. The bases of these celebrations today is that she

:33:37. > :33:42.has turned the nation into a united family in a way never achieved by

:33:43. > :33:50.any previous monarch. And I would say, never even attempted by a

:33:51. > :33:54.previous monarch. We are all together and that is why people feel

:33:55. > :34:04.so strongly and so happily about this celebration today. As shown in

:34:05. > :34:08.the photographs of a recent visit by Her Majesty to my constituency,

:34:09. > :34:17.which I have in my house, people are not only honoured to meet the Queen,

:34:18. > :34:26.they are delighted. They are honoured by the position that they

:34:27. > :34:33.are delighted by the person and this is the reason, Mr Speaker, why we

:34:34. > :34:43.celebrate so gladly today. It's not just congratulations, your Majesty.

:34:44. > :34:47.It's happy birthday, Elizabeth. Mr Speaker, two of my best memories are

:34:48. > :34:53.seeing the Queen at schools or academies. She came in 1999 to

:34:54. > :34:58.Worthing. It was a delight to see the young people and all the staff,

:34:59. > :35:02.academic and support staff, so pleased by her recognition of what

:35:03. > :35:09.they did together. On the 26th of October 2012, she came to an academy

:35:10. > :35:14.and Howard Hill and I don't think I have ever seen young people chatting

:35:15. > :35:17.so amiably during a school lunch as they did with her when they got her

:35:18. > :35:23.talking about her experiences during the war. I look on her as someone

:35:24. > :35:28.who provides a focus for voluntary service, the civil service and for

:35:29. > :35:31.the military service. One of my best friends was very proud, he held her

:35:32. > :35:36.warrants as a police constable, something he has in common with the

:35:37. > :35:41.Chief constables, all equal, all serving the country through the

:35:42. > :35:43.Queen. My father held her appointment as an ambassador and

:35:44. > :35:50.previously as a Second Lieutenant in the Army. I think we can change our

:35:51. > :35:55.feminist during the war, the Great War and end the Second World War,

:35:56. > :35:59.without everything going to pieces shows the value of having a monarch

:36:00. > :36:05.accepted by people on all sides. Many other things one could say, but

:36:06. > :36:08.I think I can be brief and add my congratulations to those who have

:36:09. > :36:14.spoken already who I think has set the tone for today which I think we

:36:15. > :36:18.welcome by the Queen and if we can live up to her example, we will do

:36:19. > :36:22.well for the country as well. She has helped to lead this country

:36:23. > :36:25.through difficult times, good times, but most of all she has given a

:36:26. > :36:32.great deal of pleasure to those trying to do their duty to others.

:36:33. > :36:36.Thank you, Mr Speaker. We gathered today not only to rejoice in the

:36:37. > :36:40.Queen having lived a long and glorious life but to celebrate the

:36:41. > :36:46.rain that encompasses so much of the lives of almost everyone that she

:36:47. > :36:50.rolls over today. The Queen was not, we must remember, born to this role.

:36:51. > :36:55.She was not an area and not expected to ascend to the throne. Instead,

:36:56. > :36:59.with her mother, father and sister, she was part of a loving and

:37:00. > :37:05.contented family growing up in devoted content of her grandfather

:37:06. > :37:08.King George. In the shade of her glamorous uncle, the Prince of

:37:09. > :37:11.Wales. That is peaceful life came to an end for the Duke of York and his

:37:12. > :37:18.family with the trauma of the abdication. But as His Majesty King

:37:19. > :37:24.George VI, with the support of Elizabeth and later the Queen mother

:37:25. > :37:28.and their daughters, ensured that the Crown remained at the heart of

:37:29. > :37:36.its peoples' affections and together they embodied our will to defeat the

:37:37. > :37:40.great evil of living memory and to win the war to ensure that Chris

:37:41. > :37:46.prospers rather than perished in Europe and across the world. Her

:37:47. > :37:50.Majesty, iconic and perpetual as she sometimes seems, is not a symbol.

:37:51. > :37:56.She is rather a reminder to us all of that generation who did great

:37:57. > :38:01.things and stopped terrible things from being done to us. Our history,

:38:02. > :38:07.and it is a great one as a history that we can be truly proud of, is

:38:08. > :38:11.not something that our Queen merely symbolises. It is something that she

:38:12. > :38:15.and her generation lived for us and thank God she and they did. In

:38:16. > :38:20.deserved and dramatic fashion, the Queen' life underdog war saw a

:38:21. > :38:25.dashing young hero into her life and Her Majesty in her choice of husband

:38:26. > :38:31.has kept us all alert, invigorated and more than once amused. Their

:38:32. > :38:35.life together, rising on some 70 years, is a tribute to the character

:38:36. > :38:41.of both our Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Only yesterday, we saw

:38:42. > :38:43.the wonderful picture of Her Majesty and the Prince of Wales, the tube of

:38:44. > :38:50.Cambridge and the young Prince George. Altogether, continuity and

:38:51. > :38:59.change in one loving and beloveds image. The gift of the Queen model's

:39:00. > :39:03.life includes seeing the future that surely lies in store. We in the

:39:04. > :39:10.column she has done so much to restore see that the crown rests on

:39:11. > :39:14.a long line of security. In a country such as ours and the other

:39:15. > :39:19.realms of which she reigns, the Crown the Queen wears embodies our

:39:20. > :39:22.unity. In my corner of this kingdom, Northern Ireland, it will never be

:39:23. > :39:30.forgotten how steadfastly Queen was in her support for and affection

:39:31. > :39:36.towards our afflicted province. I can personally attest during my time

:39:37. > :39:40.as Lord Maher of the great city of Belfast to her compassion and

:39:41. > :39:48.concern for those affected by the violence. -- Lord mayor. Those dark

:39:49. > :39:50.days are, we pray, over now but Her Majesty's enduring interest and

:39:51. > :39:55.contribution towards peace in Northern Ireland continues. Her

:39:56. > :40:01.frequent visits and those of other members of the Royal family are

:40:02. > :40:06.always warmly received right across the community. For that, and so much

:40:07. > :40:11.more, we from Northern Ireland are immensely grateful. I, like most,

:40:12. > :40:16.have known no other sovereign. We have been blessed through the

:40:17. > :40:20.generations to have one so dedicated to the service of our country and

:40:21. > :40:25.the Commonwealth and the nations of the Commonwealth are joining with us

:40:26. > :40:29.today in our tributes to the Queen and the Commonwealth is, as we have

:40:30. > :40:34.been reminded, a powerful expression of the unifying and inspirational

:40:35. > :40:39.spirit of its great head. It is but one of Her Majesty's great injuring

:40:40. > :40:45.legacies. She has been the rock upon which this country has continued to

:40:46. > :40:49.nourish and has built the democracy so envied throughout the world. Her

:40:50. > :40:55.shining face has been a constant and unwavering inspiration through times

:40:56. > :41:00.of national celebration and national sadness. And in times of personal

:41:01. > :41:04.sadness, Her Majesty has shown great grace that comes with great faith.

:41:05. > :41:09.We are thankful for the wonderful life that God has given us in his

:41:10. > :41:13.servant, Queen Elizabeth, and may he in our great wisdom and his great

:41:14. > :41:16.mercy, be pleased to grant Her Majesty and we heard people the

:41:17. > :41:18.continued blessing of having her reign over us for many many more

:41:19. > :41:37.years to come. Sir Howarth. Gerald Thank you for

:41:38. > :41:45.calling me and I hope the duty under delegated committee, you may come to

:41:46. > :41:50.my aid should I be chastised by the Whip's office. I am delighted to

:41:51. > :41:55.join my right honourable friend in once again saluting Her Majesty's

:41:56. > :41:58.dedicated service to the nation and the Commonwealth and wishing her

:41:59. > :42:04.many happy returns on this the 90th birthday. I do so as a member

:42:05. > :42:09.privileged to represent overshot the home of the British Army and I am

:42:10. > :42:15.authorised by the most senior officer to associate the garrison

:42:16. > :42:25.most warmly with today's tributes. The Majesty is head of the Armed

:42:26. > :42:28.Forces. Soldiers, sailors and airmen like members of parliament swear an

:42:29. > :42:34.oath of allegiance to the sovereign. It is she the surf and that bond

:42:35. > :42:39.between the sovereign and the men and women of the Armed Forces is a

:42:40. > :42:44.very special one. Not least because in her is personified the ideal of

:42:45. > :42:52.service. Whilst King George II was the last sovereign to lead his

:42:53. > :42:59.forces into battle, Elizabeth the second has led from the front by

:43:00. > :43:04.example. Not least in appalling her commitment to defend the faith, our

:43:05. > :43:08.Christian faith. My own modest commission in the Royal Air Force

:43:09. > :43:15.volunteer reserve hangs prominently on my study wall to remind me of the

:43:16. > :43:20.duty I hope to my sovereign. The Prime Minister knows how important

:43:21. > :43:29.the support of a spouses as he discharges his duties and I'm sure

:43:30. > :43:33.he gets advice from his spouse. I certainly do. I think it is

:43:34. > :43:38.therefore right today that we should reflect also on the support which

:43:39. > :43:43.the Duke of Edinburgh has given the Queen throughout her life. Whilst we

:43:44. > :43:50.have not been privileged to know the nature of any advice he may have

:43:51. > :43:55.given to Her Majesty we can be sure that his immense reservoir of common

:43:56. > :44:01.sense and capacity for plain speaking will have been an added

:44:02. > :44:10.blessing to her. As others have said, Her Majesty does have a

:44:11. > :44:14.wonderful sense of humour. I recall stories of the Privy Council meeting

:44:15. > :44:21.where a cabinet minister was present and during that meeting the Cabinet

:44:22. > :44:25.Mr 's telephone had not been switched off and it rang and the

:44:26. > :44:31.Cabinet minister talk the fallout a handbag and moves away to answer it

:44:32. > :44:35.and when she had finished the call Her Majesty turned to the Cabinet in

:44:36. > :44:44.this and said somebody important was it? Finally, I conclude with the

:44:45. > :44:50.editorial in this week's country life which has relocated to my

:44:51. > :44:54.constituency and they say in the editorial, often accused in the past

:44:55. > :44:57.of being too traditional it is now her old-fashioned values and

:44:58. > :45:02.steadfastness that have made her someone to be admired and emulated

:45:03. > :45:06.the world over. Her long reign and vast Achaemenid wisdom have helped

:45:07. > :45:12.to stabilise relations across the world, especially within the

:45:13. > :45:20.Commonwealth. We owe Her Majesty a great debt of gratitude. God Save

:45:21. > :45:24.The Queen. In the event the honourable gentleman is chastised he

:45:25. > :45:32.can always advise the web to sample the joys of riparian entertainments.

:45:33. > :45:37.It is something I did myself in years past. I am very pleased to

:45:38. > :45:41.follow the right honourable gentleman from Aldershot. I am

:45:42. > :45:48.grateful to contribute to this collective greeting. I wish to read

:45:49. > :45:59.three experiences from my period as Vice Chamberlain of the fight --

:46:00. > :46:01.while household. As colleagues will no the Vice Chamberlain who

:46:02. > :46:08.traditionally is the senior government whip has a variety of

:46:09. > :46:11.duties to fulfil. Three of them are designing a daily message to send to

:46:12. > :46:16.Her Majesty outlining what's happening here. Acting as hostage

:46:17. > :46:22.during the State Openings of Parliament and taking treaties to be

:46:23. > :46:26.signed by Her Majesty and presenting them here to the House of Commons.

:46:27. > :46:32.When I was first presented to Her Majesty in 2003 and I asked her the

:46:33. > :46:36.same question as I'm sure all my predecessors and successors, watch

:46:37. > :46:42.you would like to see in the message, her answer was that what

:46:43. > :46:48.generally doesn't make the papers would be of interest. Given the way

:46:49. > :46:59.we are reporting in today's media that is a pretty high bar. The

:47:00. > :47:03.second duty is as hostage since our predecessors executed Charles the

:47:04. > :47:07.first in 1649 every time the moniker comes to visit as we have to send a

:47:08. > :47:16.senior MP to ask as hostage and I did that on two occasions and I did

:47:17. > :47:21.get the impression of being the impression I was not allowed to

:47:22. > :47:27.leave but the Buckingham Alice officials said I could have Coffey,

:47:28. > :47:33.Walkabout but I wasn't leaving. When I expressed my anxiety is a short

:47:34. > :47:39.time later, Mike Jackson said you should not have worried, if anything

:47:40. > :47:47.happened to Her Majesty we would have just shot you. He wasn't

:47:48. > :47:50.kidding. The third experiences on Easter when we had to have a

:47:51. > :47:54.document signed to be presented to the House and the civil servants

:47:55. > :47:59.contacted Buckingham Palace who responded that Her Majesty wasn't at

:48:00. > :48:03.Buckingham Palace, she was at Windsor and our officials said

:48:04. > :48:08.Fitzpatrick will go to Windsor to get this document signed. The

:48:09. > :48:14.message came back from Her Majesty and said Mr Fitzpatrick is coming

:48:15. > :48:19.all the way to Windsor, ask if you would like to stay to lunch. My

:48:20. > :48:27.civil servants said, do you want to stay for lunch? I said bite her

:48:28. > :48:34.royal handoff. When I was being driven down to Windsor Castle on a

:48:35. > :48:40.semi-day I was wondering how many people does Her Majesty entertained

:48:41. > :48:46.to lunch at Easter on the Monday and they were six of us. Her private

:48:47. > :48:54.secretary, myself and Her Majesty. I was totally unprepared for this. It

:48:55. > :48:58.is a measure of the human -- humanity of the dear lady that for

:48:59. > :49:05.an hour and a half she commanded the conversation and included everybody.

:49:06. > :49:11.Not having known her at all before she demonstrated her charm,

:49:12. > :49:14.generosity and the Regal must. I am grateful for the experience of

:49:15. > :49:20.having been Vice Chamberlain the two years and I am very grateful to my

:49:21. > :49:28.constituents and greetings to Her Majesty on this day. Her Majesty The

:49:29. > :49:33.Queen came to the throne the year that I was born so she is the only

:49:34. > :49:38.moniker I have ever known and because of the way she has fulfilled

:49:39. > :49:45.her duties I am a staunch royalist. In my time in this place we had one

:49:46. > :49:49.Prime Minister who behaved as if he was president and that certainly

:49:50. > :49:57.confirmed my view how blessed we are to have a moniker rather than a

:49:58. > :50:06.president. I have seen at first hand the joy that the Queen brings to

:50:07. > :50:11.people's lives. I remember her visit in 1999 to my two constituencies.

:50:12. > :50:16.Residents were thrilled with her visits, something we politicians

:50:17. > :50:20.struggle to achieve. Mr Speaker I represent the highest number of

:50:21. > :50:29.centenarians in the country and I am constantly attending centenarian

:50:30. > :50:33.birthday parties. My own mother is 14 years older than the Queen and I

:50:34. > :50:39.know how thrilled she was to receive her telegram and I have told her

:50:40. > :50:46.that the good Lord needs to spare here for another year if she is to

:50:47. > :50:51.receive her second telegram. Finally, when I had the good fortune

:50:52. > :50:59.of being invested at Windsor Castle last year I was in absolute awe of

:51:00. > :51:04.how a woman of nearly 90 stood for over an hour and with the

:51:05. > :51:11.conversation and manner made it such a specialised memorable occasion for

:51:12. > :51:15.each of the recipients. I should say Her Majesty has only made one

:51:16. > :51:18.mistake in her life and that is when she observed that I had been a

:51:19. > :51:23.member of Parliament for a long time and she asked me had I seen many

:51:24. > :51:33.changes and her eyes glaze over as I went on and on. You and I know only

:51:34. > :51:46.too well what a challenge it can be being nice to people morning, noon

:51:47. > :51:51.and night. Her Majesty certainly succeeds in that regard and like

:51:52. > :51:57.myself. So this wonderful and gracious lady has served our country

:51:58. > :52:03.with integrity, charm and dignity for all of her life, through the

:52:04. > :52:10.upheavals and tribulations our nation has faced. Her own personal

:52:11. > :52:14.life with all its tragedies and sorrows has never been allowed to

:52:15. > :52:22.come between her and her subjects. She has been a constant example to

:52:23. > :52:26.all of us rising above party politics and the ebb and flow of

:52:27. > :52:33.public opinion. She has been faultlessly impartial, loyal only to

:52:34. > :52:38.her people. The natural warmth and empathy that she has shown

:52:39. > :52:42.throughout her long reign had endeared her even to the most

:52:43. > :52:49.hardened Republican and she is now more loved than she has ever been.

:52:50. > :52:55.So yes, long may she reign over us. God Save The Queen and can we please

:52:56. > :53:03.all have of this birthday cake we keep hearing about. I think I have

:53:04. > :53:11.just been introduced by the honourable gentleman who just spoke.

:53:12. > :53:19.I believe the most momentous moment the Queen's reign was the visit was

:53:20. > :53:22.when she stood dressed in green in Croke Park and bowed her head in

:53:23. > :53:28.penitence because of the terrible massacre that have placed there.

:53:29. > :53:35.That was an act of humility and Majesty which had an enormous

:53:36. > :53:39.symbolic effect and will continue to have that effect on relations

:53:40. > :53:44.between the nations of this island. I want to give a special words of

:53:45. > :53:50.thanks on behalf of the people in the country who regard themselves as

:53:51. > :53:55.proud Republicans. I have affection for her and it goes back a very long

:53:56. > :54:00.time. I did know another monarchy in this country and until today she was

:54:01. > :54:04.a fellow octogenarian and she teaches us a great lesson, an

:54:05. > :54:08.example of this House should take. We have done well on diversity as

:54:09. > :54:15.bad as ethnic minorities and women are concerned but we are improving

:54:16. > :54:24.but we're still dreadfully under represented by octogenarian is in

:54:25. > :54:34.this House and I am reminded by my friend the Leader of the Opposition

:54:35. > :54:38.of Mildred Gordon who became an MP and Ian Mercado stood down because

:54:39. > :54:44.he felt he was sold and the Labour Party chose Mildred Gordon who was

:54:45. > :54:51.older and she served with distinction in this institution. I

:54:52. > :54:57.want to say there is a distinction between respect for Her Majesty and

:54:58. > :55:05.criticism of the institution of monarchy. She has continued the

:55:06. > :55:08.institution and given it new life and meaning because of her own

:55:09. > :55:15.personality and because of her decision not to be broiled in anyway

:55:16. > :55:21.in affairs that are political. I believe there was an occasion

:55:22. > :55:25.described by the late member for Cambridge when he wrote an article

:55:26. > :55:34.describing what might have been a crisis in the party when Mrs

:55:35. > :55:39.Thatcher was about to leave office and at that time the fear expressed

:55:40. > :55:45.was that if Mrs Thatcher had decided to call a general election she was

:55:46. > :55:50.more popular in the country than she was in the House or the party at the

:55:51. > :55:53.time and the Conservative Party could not stop the calling an

:55:54. > :55:58.election and neither could Parliament and neither could anyone

:55:59. > :56:03.else but the Queen could and I believe that was an example of where

:56:04. > :56:07.the personality of the Queen would have acted in the interests of the

:56:08. > :56:12.country rather than the interests of a Prime Minister and that is the

:56:13. > :56:21.supreme job of any monarchy in this country. I am happy as a Republican

:56:22. > :56:26.to speak for a city where the last revolution or attempted revolution

:56:27. > :56:31.to set up a Republic to placing 1839 and it's interesting that last week

:56:32. > :56:37.Mr Mark reckless came into Newport to launches campaign and paid

:56:38. > :56:43.tributes to the attractions of Chartism as a forerunner of Ukip is.

:56:44. > :56:49.People have suggested this was opportunist but I don't think it was

:56:50. > :56:52.because I believe if that honourable gentleman had stood in Coventry he

:56:53. > :56:59.would have probably ever arrives in the constituency naked on a horse.

:57:00. > :57:07.Is great privilege to be called in this debate and may I say that I

:57:08. > :57:09.share 81 years of life with Her Majesty and I have watched with

:57:10. > :57:16.great interest all that time and those of us who wish to have a new

:57:17. > :57:26.system of heads of state can stay with deep sincerity, happy birthday,

:57:27. > :57:30.ma'am. Mr Speaker, having cocksure eye, I want to pay tribute to Her

:57:31. > :57:39.Majesty as one of -- caught your eye. I represent Buckingham Palace,

:57:40. > :57:42.and in my case, Sandringham. I want to endorse what the Prime Minister

:57:43. > :57:47.has said because from the moment Her Majesty stepped off that flight back

:57:48. > :57:54.from Kenya on February seven, 1952 to return to a nation in mourning,

:57:55. > :58:01.her life has been one of relentless, selfless and dedicated duty to our

:58:02. > :58:05.nation. And also to Britain's dependencies, our overseas territory

:58:06. > :58:10.and are realms. And I'm very glad that the Prime Minister and indeed

:58:11. > :58:13.my honourable friend for a Mid Sussex mentioned the Commonwealth

:58:14. > :58:17.because this is ceaseless service also applies to the Commonwealth. It

:58:18. > :58:25.has been pointed out, started out as a loose a Association that has grown

:58:26. > :58:32.into an incredible organisation that includes 2 billion plus people in

:58:33. > :58:35.this world and 30% of the world's population. It truly global

:58:36. > :58:39.organisation that I believe has led to countries within the Commonwealth

:58:40. > :58:43.core operating and collaborating as never before and I believe Her

:58:44. > :58:51.Majesty can be very proud of how this organisation has moved forward.

:58:52. > :58:54.Mr Speaker, this extraordinary levels service and indeed ongoing

:58:55. > :59:00.service to our nation is in stark contrast to the cult of the Ute that

:59:01. > :59:06.seems to have taken over -- cult of youth that has taken over a lot of

:59:07. > :59:10.democracies. This has given a lot of hope to people such as myself. But I

:59:11. > :59:15.wanted its thing about Sandringham because Her Majesty could easily be

:59:16. > :59:21.excused for coming to her beloveds antonym to get away from London as

:59:22. > :59:26.the pressures of work, to relax with her family, for courses on the two

:59:27. > :59:31.studs and with her dogs. But every year, without fail, Her Majesty

:59:32. > :59:34.carries out numerous local visits, many of them to the same

:59:35. > :59:40.organisations every year without fail. But every year, she will go

:59:41. > :59:44.and visit new organisations, for example, opening new village halls,

:59:45. > :59:53.a new ward of the hospital in Kingston, are local museums and

:59:54. > :59:58.businesses -- King's Lynn. And what I have noticed is that what she has

:59:59. > :00:03.met the dignities, she always makes it clear that she wants to go and

:00:04. > :00:08.meet real people. She shows to those people and failing courtesy, good

:00:09. > :00:15.humour and a deep knowledge of West Norfolk and time and again, she has

:00:16. > :00:19.brought an told joy and happiness to my constituents. And so many

:00:20. > :00:23.different occasions. I think she personifies the dignity and civics

:00:24. > :00:28.Perrett that are the very Best of Norfolk and also the very best of

:00:29. > :00:33.British and very often beside her is her consort, the Duke of Edinburgh,

:00:34. > :00:38.Prince Philip who has been an indefatigable rock of support. We

:00:39. > :00:41.celebrate the birthday of a remarkable person but we also

:00:42. > :00:45.celebrate something else. We celebrate that covenant between the

:00:46. > :00:51.monarch and the people which under her stewardship has made the

:00:52. > :00:59.monarchy is stronger than ever. So, long may she reign over us. Thank

:01:00. > :01:03.you, Mr Speaker for calling me especially since I only entered the

:01:04. > :01:08.chamber when the premise was concluding his remarks and I can say

:01:09. > :01:12.on this occasion, having not heard them, I would have agreed with them

:01:13. > :01:16.all. My apologies. It is a massive honour to give praise and to

:01:17. > :01:20.acknowledge the service of Her Majesty on her 90th birthday will

:01:21. > :01:25.stop unlike many people in this place, the occasions I've had to

:01:26. > :01:29.speak with Her Majesty are very limited, one occasion believed. As a

:01:30. > :01:34.very new member of Parliament, and she was asking me about how I was

:01:35. > :01:38.getting onto the setting up as a new MP. How did I cope with the

:01:39. > :01:44.correspondence? And I did confide that on occasions people would come

:01:45. > :01:47.unto me the street and say, thank you or acknowledged that the letter

:01:48. > :01:51.I had written to them and I would sometimes go blank. I'm sure

:01:52. > :01:54.colleagues might share the sensation, thinking, what are they

:01:55. > :02:00.talking about? I can trigger the detail. She said, this happens to me

:02:01. > :02:05.all the time. I always say, it's the least I can do. It's a nice get out

:02:06. > :02:12.of jail card that we can perhaps cling onto. Her Majesty has an

:02:13. > :02:17.occasion to visit formerly my part of the world on two occasions in her

:02:18. > :02:22.reign. The first was 1956, 14 years before I was born. It was the year

:02:23. > :02:27.of the Suez crisis and the clean air act. It was the year that you do

:02:28. > :02:30.United Kingdom turned on its first nuclear power station. The second

:02:31. > :02:35.occasion was three years ago when I was privileged to meet her in Kendal

:02:36. > :02:39.as the member of Parliament and in the 57 years in between those two

:02:40. > :02:45.visits and indeed since she shouldn't be thrown, so much has

:02:46. > :02:51.changed for all of us. So much has changed for Britain and the world we

:02:52. > :02:57.live in. The Elizabethan age will be reviewed by history as a vast

:02:58. > :03:02.transformational, tumultuous era, during which our Queen has provided

:03:03. > :03:06.immense constancy which I think will be looked back on as the thread

:03:07. > :03:11.which ones do all of it and made change possible without the

:03:12. > :03:15.uncertainty and instability that could have come about otherwise. In

:03:16. > :03:21.Her Majesty's time, governments have indeed come and gone. She has seen

:03:22. > :03:24.them read Britain into the European Common market and then people vote

:03:25. > :03:28.to remain in when I was five years of age. She has in Britain leads the

:03:29. > :03:35.world by becoming the first 27 country to commit not .7% of GDP in

:03:36. > :03:41.international development. She has seen us become world leaders in

:03:42. > :03:45.taking charge of tackling climate change. She has seen technological

:03:46. > :03:49.advances raced ahead from any telegram or a radio programme was a

:03:50. > :03:52.thing of great and claimant to the prevalence of satellite television,

:03:53. > :03:58.the iPhone and letters being supplanted by e-mails, playgrounds

:03:59. > :04:02.conversations by Facebook updates. But through all those years of

:04:03. > :04:08.change and upheaval, one thing has been a constant and that has been

:04:09. > :04:12.Her Majesty's selfless service to Britain, admired around the world

:04:13. > :04:18.for a consistent advocacy of Britain at its best. Iron bound to say, as

:04:19. > :04:21.others have, that she embodies the value of their being a

:04:22. > :04:27.constitutional monarchy. A neutral person who is above politics and a

:04:28. > :04:30.foundation upon which our Constitution, to whom all of us

:04:31. > :04:35.whatever our political views, can look and share and allegiance. That

:04:36. > :04:41.is an immensely valuable thing. So, even as we contemplate the

:04:42. > :04:46.monumental things that have occurred during Her Majesty's rain, it is

:04:47. > :04:49.worth remembering that birthdays are a very personal occasions. They are

:04:50. > :04:54.an opportunity to celebrate the lives we live and give thanks with

:04:55. > :04:58.friends and family. Hers has been an extraordinary life and an

:04:59. > :05:04.extraordinary example of all in public life of the meaning of public

:05:05. > :05:10.service. As we and others paid tribute to her example, I hope that

:05:11. > :05:13.she with so many friends, grandchildren, children,

:05:14. > :05:18.great-grandchildren and a loving husband experiences the same joy and

:05:19. > :05:21.pleasure we all do when we get together to celebrate with those

:05:22. > :05:27.that we love. And as wonderful and historic dates, and a half of my

:05:28. > :05:31.party and constituents, I paid tribute to Her Majesty's dedication

:05:32. > :05:36.to a lifetime of public service, to her faith and to wish a very happy

:05:37. > :05:43.birthday and many more to come. I thank God for her service. Long live

:05:44. > :05:48.the Queen. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am honoured and humbled to be able

:05:49. > :05:51.to follow other members and the Prime Minister in congratulating Her

:05:52. > :05:54.Majesty The Queen on her 90th birthday and indeed and 90 years of

:05:55. > :05:58.tremendous service to her country and the common law. How fortunate we

:05:59. > :06:03.are to be British, to have a head of state in this conflict is modern age

:06:04. > :06:06.who is admired and respected throughout the world. The

:06:07. > :06:08.contribution Her Majesty has made to the standing of the United Kingdom

:06:09. > :06:13.in the world is hard to overestimate. From my own view, the

:06:14. > :06:17.Queen's gritters contribution has been as a steadying influence on

:06:18. > :06:21.British life through good times and bad, the one guaranteed constant in

:06:22. > :06:26.all our lives. In many ways, she has been at the nation's grandmother. At

:06:27. > :06:30.the age of 45, I am precisely half the age of the Queen yet when I was

:06:31. > :06:35.born, she had already been Queen for 18 years. She had been a public

:06:36. > :06:39.figure for many years before that. Indeed, like so many members of the

:06:40. > :06:44.Royal family, the Queen has let her entire life in the public gaze. She

:06:45. > :06:48.sat for pictures almost from birth and she made her first solo public

:06:49. > :06:53.appearance when she was a mere 16. Indeed, she has been a lady of many

:06:54. > :06:57.firsts. She was the first British monarch to visit China, Australia,

:06:58. > :07:00.and New Zealand. The first to address the US Congress, and the

:07:01. > :07:06.first head of state to have opened not one but two Olympic Games. She

:07:07. > :07:09.made her first televised Christmas broadcast in 1957 and was the first

:07:10. > :07:16.monarch and one of the first people in the world to send an e-mail as

:07:17. > :07:19.early as 1976. It is to Her Majesty's credit that lobbying a

:07:20. > :07:23.figure of great stability, she is also moved with the times. As we

:07:24. > :07:29.entered the digital age, the Royal e-mail address was launched in 2007

:07:30. > :07:33.as was the Royal Channel on YouTube, the role Twitter account went live

:07:34. > :07:38.in 2009 and the royal Facebook page in 2010. Today, the British monarchy

:07:39. > :07:44.has 2.2 million followers on Twitter and growing even today. 2.7 million

:07:45. > :07:48.likes on Facebook. That is a number of many of us in this place would be

:07:49. > :07:55.rather jealous. A Google search for Queen Elizabeth II returns over 21

:07:56. > :07:57.million results and for the Queen returns 240 million results and

:07:58. > :08:01.while many others past and present can claim that is rather generic

:08:02. > :08:06.title, the Queen, you have to go to page six of the results before you

:08:07. > :08:09.come to any other topic than Her Majesty. Incidentally and not

:08:10. > :08:14.surprisingly, it is indeed a public house. The Queen is one of if not

:08:15. > :08:17.what the most recognisable public figure in the world and yet as we

:08:18. > :08:21.have heard, one of her former protection officers has shared in

:08:22. > :08:23.most enduring stories this week. I recognise that the honourable member

:08:24. > :08:29.who represents Balmoral is here today so I will not serial the punch

:08:30. > :08:33.line of that story but it shows how gracious Her Majesty is. So many

:08:34. > :08:36.people have personal stories of their own interactions with Her

:08:37. > :08:39.Majesty. She has met hundreds of thousands of her subjects and

:08:40. > :08:42.millions have seen her face-to-face at one of the many great festivals

:08:43. > :08:47.and events that she attends each year. In 2012 during Jubilee year,

:08:48. > :08:50.many residents of Worcestershire met Her Majesty when she opens the highs

:08:51. > :08:55.library and history Centre in Worcester and she attended a

:08:56. > :09:00.reception at the Guildhall. Such personal interactions are one of the

:09:01. > :09:04.main reasons why she is so incredibly and enduringly popular.

:09:05. > :09:09.Opinion polls show that Britons continue Queen Elizabeth II is to be

:09:10. > :09:12.our greatest ever monarch despite considerable, petition and she has

:09:13. > :09:19.reigned over a new Elizabethan age. We are fortunate to have shared that

:09:20. > :09:22.era with her. On behalf of my constituents, the Royal people of

:09:23. > :09:30.Ulster, and all the people of Worcestershire, I wish her a very

:09:31. > :09:33.happy 90 birthday. -- Worcester. It's a pleasure to join in the

:09:34. > :09:36.celebration today. I am looking forward to returning home this

:09:37. > :09:40.evening to my husband and four children for our own celebration

:09:41. > :09:46.because today is not only Her Majesty's budget but also the

:09:47. > :09:50.birthday of my daughter. April 21 is a daily diary member very well, one

:09:51. > :09:55.which was particularly long in number of years ago. My daughter has

:09:56. > :09:59.prepared her own birthday wish list. I do not know if Her Majesty has

:10:00. > :10:03.done the same thing, but I think they may share some of the same

:10:04. > :10:08.aspirations for the future. I and a lighter to wish them both a very

:10:09. > :10:13.happy birthday. I should also add for the benefit of the Speaker as

:10:14. > :10:17.the House of Commons that I have just returned from my delegation at

:10:18. > :10:22.the Council of Europe or that house can be assured that Her Majesty's

:10:23. > :10:27.birthday will be celebrated in the normal manner just about now. For

:10:28. > :10:31.the past 64 years, Scotland has enjoyed Her Majesty's leadership.

:10:32. > :10:36.Indeed, in 1999, she said that our country has a special place in my

:10:37. > :10:39.own and my family's heart and I know that Scotland feels the same in

:10:40. > :10:43.return and we very much look forward to her opening the new Scottish

:10:44. > :10:52.parliament after the elections next month. Mr Speaker, the people of my

:10:53. > :10:54.constituency are very proud of our royal connections, especially our

:10:55. > :11:02.association with the Queen's grandson and his wife. Through

:11:03. > :11:05.26-year-olds could have been prepared to cope with the brawl that

:11:06. > :11:10.she inherited in 1952, but it has been clear to all that she has

:11:11. > :11:15.provided it cleverly leadership over the last decade and hopefully for

:11:16. > :11:21.many to come. Over and above this, to have been seen to conduct

:11:22. > :11:24.yourself in it chorus manner in any of unprecedented public scrutiny has

:11:25. > :11:29.been an example to us all in public life. Mr Speaker, I am proud to have

:11:30. > :11:33.been honoured for my work in business and within Scotland's Asian

:11:34. > :11:41.community by receiving an all be evil. -- all BT.

:11:42. > :11:48.Believed the honour wasn't just a personal one, a commitment to the

:11:49. > :11:53.whole of the Asian community in Scotland, reinforcing our valuable

:11:54. > :11:57.place in its fabric. I believe how lovely indeed, that the lady

:11:58. > :12:02.preparing the birthday cake for Her Majesty is also a member of the

:12:03. > :12:07.Asian community, I have no doubt that Nadia's cake will be a mass

:12:08. > :12:11.fierce, the recognition I received from Her Majesty symbolised to me

:12:12. > :12:16.and my father, and those of us with Pakistani heritage, that it has, we

:12:17. > :12:22.have all been accepted into the heart of this country. This is a

:12:23. > :12:28.gift that could only have been bestowed by somebody who conducts

:12:29. > :12:33.themselves outside politics. I was fortunate enough to have been

:12:34. > :12:36.presented with the OBE by Her Majesty herself, what I remember

:12:37. > :12:40.about the conversation I had with her she spoke so knowledgeably about

:12:41. > :12:44.work I had been involved w and the achievement of the organisations I

:12:45. > :12:49.had supported. I remember thinking, at that time, that to carry out

:12:50. > :12:55.these duties, for every single recipient she met that day, with

:12:56. > :12:58.skill and insight, must have taken considerable personal commitment,

:12:59. > :13:06.and preparation on her part. And by committing herself so

:13:07. > :13:11.diligently to her public duties at home and and broad, Her Majesty has

:13:12. > :13:15.shown herself to be a model and modern constitutional monarch. Mr

:13:16. > :13:19.Speaker, she has not only acted as our head of state but has been a

:13:20. > :13:23.great servant to our democracy. I am glad to have this opportunity to

:13:24. > :13:30.thank her once again, for her public service, and to wish her a very very

:13:31. > :13:35.happy 90th birthday today. Thank you Mr Speaker. I am delighted

:13:36. > :13:40.to speak and support this humble address on this splendid day,

:13:41. > :13:44.celebrating the landmark 90th birthday of our be loved Queen

:13:45. > :13:49.Elizabeth. It is an historic day where we celebrate the life and dead

:13:50. > :13:53.casing of our Queen who is the oldest and longest reigning monarch,

:13:54. > :13:57.two records she continues to extend which each passing day and I hope

:13:58. > :14:02.she continues to do for many days and years to come. On the subject of

:14:03. > :14:07.age, I do observer that on entering Parliament last year at a similar

:14:08. > :14:11.age to Her Majesty when she ascended to the throne. It was an honour to

:14:12. > :14:18.swear allegiance on taking my seat on the benches. In so doing I hope I

:14:19. > :14:23.reflect the highest regard in which Her Majesty is held. As we remember

:14:24. > :14:28.the Queen's popularity here, and at home, we should remember the role

:14:29. > :14:31.through the world, and that she undertakes in the form of Head of

:14:32. > :14:35.the Commonwealth. The organisation of 53 countries and remaining the

:14:36. > :14:39.sovereign head of state, of a further 15 realms in addition to the

:14:40. > :14:43.United Kingdom. Her Majesty's sense of duty is never stronger than when

:14:44. > :14:45.it comes to her dealings with the Commonwealth and now as ever is a

:14:46. > :14:50.fitting time to remember how much Britain owes to the Commonwealth and

:14:51. > :14:57.how much its members and citizens have supported us in times of

:14:58. > :15:00.difficulty. Aside from that, some of Her Majesty's duties have sausaged I

:15:01. > :15:06.haves to my own constituency of hazing Grove. She last visited in

:15:07. > :15:13.1977. As part of the celebration for her Silver Jubilee, there she opened

:15:14. > :15:18.Hazel Grove railway station, a fine example of Britain's 1970s urban

:15:19. > :15:22.design, still there today. It is migrate pleasure as a councillor to

:15:23. > :15:25.propose that the road currently under construction between Hazel

:15:26. > :15:30.Grove and Manchester Airport be named the Queen Elizabeth II way in

:15:31. > :15:34.her honour, were she keen to come and open the road, I am sure she

:15:35. > :15:39.would be warmly welcomed by my and my constituents. However, I

:15:40. > :15:44.redegreed to remind the house that my stit city has not always enjoyed

:15:45. > :15:49.such a happy relationship. It was the, in 2 town of Marple the home of

:15:50. > :15:54.John Bradshaw, the lead judge at the trial of Charles I who later became

:15:55. > :15:59.an MP for Cheshire. Charles I was the great, great, great, great,

:16:00. > :16:08.great, great, great and that is eight greats for the benefit of

:16:09. > :16:13.Hansard sentence nothing fers. The then monarch was the tyrant traitor,

:16:14. > :16:16.murderer and public enemy, let me reassure the house that no such

:16:17. > :16:24.Republican tendencies arise in me, and nor have I detected them among

:16:25. > :16:27.my constituents. The country, the country has truly taken our current

:16:28. > :16:34.monarch to our collective hearts. I was interested to read some polling

:16:35. > :16:37.figures in The Evening Standard which found 67% holding the Queen in

:16:38. > :16:40.high favour ability. The Queen is herself of course above all of this,

:16:41. > :16:46.and I understand she is a much bigger fan of the Racing Post rather

:16:47. > :16:50.than the standard, but we can be sure that, but we can be sure there

:16:51. > :16:56.are members and right honourable members and right honourable friends

:16:57. > :17:01.who would yearn for such popularity, in addition her grandchildren were

:17:02. > :17:03.reported to receive similar high favour about ratings, suggesting

:17:04. > :17:07.that the monarchy is in good shape for generations to come. This is

:17:08. > :17:11.great news and having a monarch in the form we do, we are spared the

:17:12. > :17:14.prospect of a Presidential head of state.

:17:15. > :17:19.Rather the Queen is above politics, is steadfast in her belief,

:17:20. > :17:25.resolute, as he executes her duties faithfully as she. Proitsed and will

:17:26. > :17:29.continue to do so. In my opinion the secret of her success is that she

:17:30. > :17:33.believes in what she is doing, and has dedicated and is dedicated to

:17:34. > :17:42.the service of Britain, and our place in the world, long may she

:17:43. > :17:48.reign, God Save The Queen and happy birthday ma' am. All over loyal

:17:49. > :17:54.Ulster Her Majesty The Queen will be receiving best birthday wish, and

:17:55. > :17:58.it's a huge and humbling trait to join with and join with my

:17:59. > :18:03.constituents in particular. At prayers this morning, your chaplain

:18:04. > :18:08.prayed for Her Majesty The Queen, the words, may she have long life,

:18:09. > :18:13.and everlasting Felicity, that prayer asking for a long and joyous

:18:14. > :18:18.life is answered on a daily basis, for her imagine industry the Queen,

:18:19. > :18:23.we thank God for his mercy to her as she terns her 91st year and for her

:18:24. > :18:32.faithfulness, not only to this nation, but to her ridge. It is with

:18:33. > :18:35.great joy, that we we extend to our gracious sovereign the many happy

:18:36. > :18:40.returns and wish she has many, many more in the future, find I would

:18:41. > :18:47.like to see the constitution Aldi Liberal Democrat what of how the

:18:48. > :18:55.Queen gets over the problem of sending herself a tell gram when she

:18:56. > :18:58.reaches a century. Just this week, the Lord Lieutenant of the County,

:18:59. > :19:02.invited me to a Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen, to which

:19:03. > :19:08.I will of course most certainly attend. The people of Northern

:19:09. > :19:14.Ireland are always in a buzz when they learn of a royal visit, during

:19:15. > :19:18.her time as Princess Elizabeth she visited northern on three occasions

:19:19. > :19:21.and made a further 20 official visits to Northern Ireland as Queen.

:19:22. > :19:26.The many visits throughout her reign have always been successful, in

:19:27. > :19:31.terses of their outreach and engagement, despite the at times

:19:32. > :19:35.very real personal threat to herself and to the Royal Family. On one

:19:36. > :19:42.occasion the IRA made the sinister threat that they would give her a

:19:43. > :19:46.visit to remember. The same IRA of course murdered Lord Mountbatten in

:19:47. > :19:51.Ireland, today she is witness to the remarkable change of which she has

:19:52. > :19:54.played no small part, in the change in attitude, in fact the very man

:19:55. > :19:59.who is in second of command of the require at the time of that murder

:20:00. > :20:03.and the time of that threat is the Deputy First Minister of Northern

:20:04. > :20:08.Ireland, and in law, accepts the Queen as hit Queen, so much so that

:20:09. > :20:12.every piece of legislation he signs, commences with the words, be it

:20:13. > :20:19.enacted by her gracious Majesty the Queen. What a remarkable change, the

:20:20. > :20:26.Queen has reigned over and no small success on her part. The Prime

:20:27. > :20:30.Minister today, importantly referred to the Queen's landmark visit to the

:20:31. > :20:34.Republic of Ireland and what a success that was, who know, maybe

:20:35. > :20:39.Her Majesty will see the 55th nights joining the Commonwealth, and will

:20:40. > :20:44.see Ireland playing a considerable part to the trade and relationships

:20:45. > :20:48.of that wonderful organisation. Anyone who has met Her Majesty The

:20:49. > :20:52.Queen remembers every aspect of that meeting. The conversation, and the

:20:53. > :20:55.circumstance, the happy memories that flow from it, and indeed,

:20:56. > :21:03.tonight, the Queen will light the first beacon to mark her birthday in

:21:04. > :21:08.Windsor great park. I am delighted that 17-year-old army cadet Emma Lee

:21:09. > :21:13.Ray from County Antrim will be at her side representing Northern

:21:14. > :21:16.Ireland, that will be an inspiring moment for Emma Lee, that she will

:21:17. > :21:23.cherish I believe for the rest of her life. The release today of the

:21:24. > :21:28.stamps of Her Majesty The Queen, her son, her grandson and great grandson

:21:29. > :21:31.is a real inspiration to us all and emphasises the sure line of

:21:32. > :21:35.succession and the ever increasing popularity of the monarch, and

:21:36. > :21:42.indeed in which the monarch is held. Long may she reign over us, many

:21:43. > :21:48.happy returns ma' am on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland. As

:21:49. > :21:55.other honourable members have indicated it an honour to be able to

:21:56. > :21:59.pay tribute to Her Majesty The Queen today. As other honourable members

:22:00. > :22:04.have said, what an amazing an inspirational 90 years they have

:22:05. > :22:08.been. Her Majesty's commitment and dedication to our nation, to public

:22:09. > :22:14.duty throughout her life, through the good time, and the bad, are the

:22:15. > :22:17.envy of the world. Mr Speaker, there are two businesses in my

:22:18. > :22:24.constituency that have been inspired as a result of receiving award from

:22:25. > :22:32.Her Majesty. A textile company received the Queen's award for

:22:33. > :22:36.international trade in 2009. And sailing clothes company received the

:22:37. > :22:43.Queen's Award for Enterprise as a result of increasing export sales to

:22:44. > :22:47.75% of the total revenue in 2011. Those awards are treasured and

:22:48. > :22:51.displayed with immense pride in those businesses.

:22:52. > :22:57.Sadly, my constituents have never had the honour of a visit from the

:22:58. > :23:04.great lady. In fact, the last time a Monday that visited us was over 100

:23:05. > :23:08.years ago in June 1914 when Her Majesty's grandfather King George V

:23:09. > :23:11.opened a grammar school. The king pressed a button while standing in

:23:12. > :23:18.the market place, which opened the school gates. That was a good half a

:23:19. > :23:22.mile away, and well out of sight. And the story goes a charge relayed

:23:23. > :23:26.the success of the operation back to the assembled crowds in the town

:23:27. > :23:31.centre. It is reported that the king did pass by the school, in his car,

:23:32. > :23:36.on his way out-of-town, and did have a few words with the headmaster.

:23:37. > :23:40.So Mr Speaker, I want to add to the list of invites my honourable friend

:23:41. > :23:48.from Hazel Grove has already given and take the opportunity to invite

:23:49. > :23:52.Her Majesty to my constituency to open the new train station, where

:23:53. > :23:58.she will be able to alight at the station, and not behalf a mile away

:23:59. > :24:02.when she opens it. And despite her great years, honourable members will

:24:03. > :24:06.know that her imagine industry is a very modern lady. I feel she

:24:07. > :24:10.probably won't have time today to be listening to the tributes being paid

:24:11. > :24:15.in this House, so I am sure he will bh catching up on YouTube later, so

:24:16. > :24:20.hopefully she will get the invitation to my constituency to

:24:21. > :24:26.open the station in that way. So Mr Speaker, on behalf our my

:24:27. > :24:33.constituents may wish Her Majesty a very happy birthday and may she

:24:34. > :24:37.enjoy many more to come. Thank you very much. It a great

:24:38. > :24:50.pleasure to participant in this debate. Debate. I it was on these

:24:51. > :24:53.benches ten years ago when I % painted in the 80th birthday

:24:54. > :25:03.addresses. -- participated.

:25:04. > :25:10.I mean I am on the exact same bench as I was ten years ago, the address

:25:11. > :25:14.had six speakers and took about 15 minute, given the advance in time

:25:15. > :25:19.today, I look forward to the length of the humble address in ten years'

:25:20. > :25:27.time if indeed we are all spared. The Queen is six years older than

:25:28. > :25:30.the SNP, and it is not the only connection, the private secretary's

:25:31. > :25:35.first cousin is a SNP councillor in Stornoway and a very good one

:25:36. > :25:41.indeed. Mentioning sporn way gives me the opportunity to seamlessly

:25:42. > :25:46.mention one of the Queen's great passion, islands, and looking back

:25:47. > :25:50.on my speech of ten years ago in the place, I praised her good sense for

:25:51. > :25:56.her choice of holiday that year to mark her birthday, which was a sail

:25:57. > :26:04.round the Hebrides as was alluded to by the member for Moray. She visited

:26:05. > :26:07.all the islands, when she has come many times in fact, mostly

:26:08. > :26:12.informally. Since then, I have met the Queen and asked her about the

:26:13. > :26:16.trip and I can report happily she found it to be a very splendid

:26:17. > :26:21.occasion indeed. In the intervening period many others have followed her

:26:22. > :26:24.example and visited, and have had a right royal time in other ways I am

:26:25. > :26:28.sure. I would of course encourage many others to follow the Queen's

:26:29. > :26:33.example, and as well as welcoming those who will be coming back again

:26:34. > :26:37.for a revisit, I certainly hope Her Majesty has the Hans to return to

:26:38. > :26:42.the islands she has visited so much, and I can remember clearly seeing

:26:43. > :26:48.the Royal Yacht with its three mast, from behind, as a youngster from my

:26:49. > :26:52.grandmother's house, her enjoin is more than formal, it is very

:26:53. > :26:58.personal indeed. People in the Hebrides were very pleased when the

:26:59. > :27:02.Queen in Ireland spoke in ear Irish Gaelic in what was a great gesture.

:27:03. > :27:15.So therefore, as I did on this debate ten years ago, I will end in

:27:16. > :27:18.Scottish Gaelic, and say... Mr Speaker, I should Reich to

:27:19. > :27:20.associate myself with the congratulations offered by the Prime

:27:21. > :27:33.Minister and others to Her Majesty. Windsor cup when he said that Her

:27:34. > :27:38.Majesty is the nation about my grandmother, perhaps I could add

:27:39. > :27:44.that with her commitment to seeing a nation and serving God diet that she

:27:45. > :27:46.is the nation's. Mother too. I'm delighted to rise to add the

:27:47. > :27:51.heartfelt good wishes of the people of North East Hampshire and why we

:27:52. > :27:55.have heard from all corners of the United Kingdom, there is perhaps not

:27:56. > :28:00.much for me is to add. Looking at our country. Perhaps I can blog is

:28:01. > :28:06.my contribution on Her Majesty's lifelong commitments to the

:28:07. > :28:10.Commonwealth. Many countries around the world share our common history

:28:11. > :28:15.and shared history leads to shared language, shared values, and I hope

:28:16. > :28:18.a shared future. The majesty has overseen in its current form the

:28:19. > :28:23.creation of the Commonwealth to harness this shared history around

:28:24. > :28:29.the world as a forceful good a force for good the future given that the

:28:30. > :28:37.Commonwealth is home to 2.2 billion people of which over 60% are under

:28:38. > :28:45.the age of 30, and this is clear in my mind on Parliamentary group of

:28:46. > :28:51.Sri Lanka, and Her Majesty has overlapped all the ten years of all

:28:52. > :28:57.for Prime Minister says the country's independence. Her Majesty

:28:58. > :29:00.and I have only one thing in common, both having only visited Sri Lanka

:29:01. > :29:06.twice. A former British High Commissioner said following her

:29:07. > :29:11.second visit, Her Majesty has fond memories of the first visit to Sri

:29:12. > :29:15.Lanka in 1954. He continued, Mr Speaker, as part of engagements

:29:16. > :29:19.during the visit, Her Majesty also addressed the nation from the

:29:20. > :29:23.historic studios of radio Ceylon, now known as the Sri Lanka

:29:24. > :29:28.broadcasting Corporation. She came back to Sri Lanka as head of the

:29:29. > :29:32.Commonwealth, and people I have met travelling around the country fondly

:29:33. > :29:37.recall memories of her second visit. Not only do these excerpts highlight

:29:38. > :29:40.the mutual delight at each other's involvement in the Commonwealth but

:29:41. > :29:44.they also illustrate the strength afforded by the changes that have

:29:45. > :29:49.occurred. Her Majesty has helped ensure that Britain and Sri Lanka

:29:50. > :29:52.have enjoyed a long association remaining cordial throughout the

:29:53. > :29:56.various constitutional changes of recent decades. This is true of the

:29:57. > :30:01.wider world. The United Kingdom's relationship with Australia, Canada,

:30:02. > :30:05.and India and other Commonwealth countries has changed and is

:30:06. > :30:10.stronger for it. Thousands of this Commonwealth students study in the

:30:11. > :30:22.UK each year at world-class universities. There are this tedious

:30:23. > :30:27.bursaries available. This provides real hope for the future. Tomorrow's

:30:28. > :30:31.leaders across the world are being provided with the tools to create

:30:32. > :30:35.and sustain the Commonwealth that is mutual respectful, resilient,

:30:36. > :30:41.peaceful and prosperous. A Commonwealth that cherishes quality,

:30:42. > :30:45.diversity, and our shared values. A Commonwealth that Her Majesty has

:30:46. > :30:55.created, is committed to, and if I may be so bold, is rightly proud of.

:30:56. > :30:58.God Save The Queen. Thank you Mr Speaker. It is a pleasure to be

:30:59. > :31:03.called today to wish Her Majesty a happy 90th birthday. I have the

:31:04. > :31:09.privilege to represent the royal residence of Balmoral will stop it

:31:10. > :31:12.is this royal connection begun under Queen Victoria to my constituency

:31:13. > :31:19.that gives the area I grew up in the name royal Deeside. In gives the

:31:20. > :31:26.royal name to the local whiskey, and means that the highest concentration

:31:27. > :31:32.of royal warrant holders anywhere in the UK is in my constituency. We

:31:33. > :31:39.have had a very tough year, and is the royal family has supported them.

:31:40. > :31:44.They are now open for business. It is fair to say that as has been

:31:45. > :31:49.mentioned, the Royal family and Her Majesty are most at home when

:31:50. > :31:58.spending time in my constituency, something I am proud to share with

:31:59. > :32:10.Her Majesty. Mr Speaker, people living on ten Micro -- Royal

:32:11. > :32:14.Deeside, they talk of her in light-hearted conversation, seeing

:32:15. > :32:19.her driving along, he kindly lady. It is a nice thought to think of Her

:32:20. > :32:23.Majesty in such a way. If I could just manage my brief remarks as the

:32:24. > :32:30.speaker with a story, and I thank the member for Mid Worcestershire

:32:31. > :32:33.the not recounting it, he told while walking near Balmoral Castle Her

:32:34. > :32:38.Majesty encountered a group of American tourists. The tourist asked

:32:39. > :32:43.if she was a local to which she replied that she had a house nearby.

:32:44. > :32:48.The tourists then asked if she had met the Queen. No, and gesturing to

:32:49. > :32:55.her protection officer, she said but he has! I'd like to finish by

:32:56. > :33:05.wishing Her Majesty a very happy 90th birthday and very many happy

:33:06. > :33:13.returns. Thank you very much Mr Speaker. Thank you for your

:33:14. > :33:17.enthusiastic endorsement. Now take the opportunity to thank the

:33:18. > :33:28.previous speaker, the honourable member for west Aberdeen, it is a

:33:29. > :33:32.pleasure to follow him. I'm honestly have this opportunity to speak in

:33:33. > :33:36.the debate to a great honour to be in this house, and it is a

:33:37. > :33:41.particular honour for me to have this opportunity because Her Majesty

:33:42. > :33:51.is someone here we can all look up to, as an exemplar la of duty and

:33:52. > :33:55.public service. I want to wish her a happy birthday and very many happy

:33:56. > :34:01.returns. I hope and confidently expect that Her Majesty will reach

:34:02. > :34:08.her 100th birthday, of course, more after that. It is a fact of course

:34:09. > :34:12.that is widely acknowledged around the world that Her Majesty has shown

:34:13. > :34:22.the most extraordinary and selfless devotion to duty and public service.

:34:23. > :34:27.64 years, now, and this house, all these houses of parliament marked

:34:28. > :34:36.Her Majesty's Silver Jubilee in 1977 I of course racing a rather special

:34:37. > :34:41.fountain in new Palace Yard, in the shadow of Big Ben which is still

:34:42. > :34:47.working today, and which gives great pleasure to many of us here and many

:34:48. > :34:55.visitors. The house also recognised Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee in 2002

:34:56. > :35:03.when it placed a sundial in the ground at old Palace Yard, outside

:35:04. > :35:07.the house of lords. Of course, more recently, the house, both Houses of

:35:08. > :35:12.Parliament I am pleased to say, across the political divide, across

:35:13. > :35:20.the aisle as it work, across both houses recognised her diamond

:35:21. > :35:24.jubilee in 2012 by placing a stained-glass window, a very special

:35:25. > :35:29.stained-glass window in the north window of Westminster Hall. It is

:35:30. > :35:33.hoped that it will be there for many hundreds of years to come. That

:35:34. > :35:39.stained-glass window shows Her Majesty's coat of arms, and it is

:35:40. > :35:48.almost directly opposite the World War II window, which was put in in

:35:49. > :35:51.around 1950. The original Victorian window having been blown out by

:35:52. > :35:59.enemy action during the war, but it means that the coat of arms of Her

:36:00. > :36:03.Majesty's late father, the King, are directly opposite her coat of arms,

:36:04. > :36:09.now, across Westminster Hall, that ancient edifice that is now nearly

:36:10. > :36:17.1000 years old, and is a suitable honour for this house and this

:36:18. > :36:20.country, and for Her Majesty and Her Majesty's late father who served

:36:21. > :36:26.this country so well and continue to do so. We are only five and a half

:36:27. > :36:31.years away from the Platinum jubilee so we need to keep in mind that, and

:36:32. > :36:36.I have no doubt that both houses of parliament will mark that in an

:36:37. > :36:45.equally special way. And without recourse to public funds, Imad ad,

:36:46. > :36:50.as happened with the Diamond Jubilee, and matter entirely funded

:36:51. > :36:54.by private donations by these houses. In the preparations for that

:36:55. > :37:00.window, the scratchings were made of the design to be used, and there

:37:01. > :37:12.were two beings and froing and precision work needed, and members

:37:13. > :37:17.can no doubt imagine. The exact and design, the heraldry, the very last

:37:18. > :37:21.drawing... The drawing was going to be signed off and sent to the

:37:22. > :37:27.glaziers for manufacture in the ancient way, the way made...

:37:28. > :37:31.Stained-glass has been made for 800 years, and just to be signed off,

:37:32. > :37:35.seen by the Leader of the Opposition, the Prime Minister, by

:37:36. > :37:42.everyone who needed to see Ed, and it was noticed, not by me I hasten

:37:43. > :37:47.to add, by an expert, that the chain on the unicorn was the wrong way

:37:48. > :37:51.round, and this was something that was just noticed in time by one of

:37:52. > :37:56.the experts in heraldry and consequently changed. Later when Her

:37:57. > :38:03.Majesty came to Parliament and saw the window in situ, I mentioned to

:38:04. > :38:09.Her Majesty that this has nearly happened, that the unicorn's chain

:38:10. > :38:16.had nearly been placed the wrong way round on the stained-glass window,

:38:17. > :38:20.and Her Majesty smiled broadly. I won't indicate the conversation that

:38:21. > :38:26.we had, but if I say that later somebody else remarked that it was

:38:27. > :38:30.always importance to ensure that a unicorn's chain is the right way

:38:31. > :38:35.round, I dread to think what might have happened if acted and place the

:38:36. > :38:39.wrong way round. It would have been no doubt a story to be told for a

:38:40. > :38:49.long time to come that that had gone wrong. Particularly by the

:38:50. > :38:57.Honourable gentleman! Even though it didn't go wrong guy still tell the

:38:58. > :39:03.story! Can I just say one other point I would like to make before

:39:04. > :39:08.closing. His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip has been

:39:09. > :39:14.Her Majesty's consort for nearly 70 years now and has been a steady fast

:39:15. > :39:20.support to Her Majesty. It is clear to everyone. By being such a stead

:39:21. > :39:26.fast support to our sovereign and to the Queen and to his wife, he has of

:39:27. > :39:29.course been a stead fast supports do this country, and I thank him for

:39:30. > :39:36.that, I wish Her Majesty a very happy birthday and many happy

:39:37. > :39:39.returns. But save the Queen. Thank you Mr Speaker, and thank you for

:39:40. > :39:46.allowing me to speak briefly today in this really special debate. On

:39:47. > :39:49.the half of my constituents in North Tyneside, I would like to

:39:50. > :39:56.congratulate the Queen on reaching her 90th birthday and I remember the

:39:57. > :40:01.last time the Queen and Prince Delaware in North Tyneside which was

:40:02. > :40:09.in 2012 when the Queen officially open the Tyne Tunnel 45 years after

:40:10. > :40:13.the first one. She was work and on that before day by many

:40:14. > :40:20.schoolchildren, Air Cadets who played music for her and it was a

:40:21. > :40:24.wonderful occasion. It took me back to the day back in 1967 when she

:40:25. > :40:31.came to Tyneside to open the first Tyne Tunnel, a school day for me in

:40:32. > :40:35.north shields, and we knew the Queen was coming, and we were all excited

:40:36. > :40:39.because one boy in our class who happens to live near the Tyne Tunnel

:40:40. > :40:44.was going to join the crowds. We were all in or we were stuck in

:40:45. > :40:51.school and I think the boy was Michael Bell or David Bell, going to

:40:52. > :40:57.see the Queen. I never dreamt on that day that in 2012 I would be, as

:40:58. > :41:01.the NP, at the Tyne Tunnel to meet the Queen. I have to say I am, I

:41:02. > :41:06.have been brought up in a household that was very royalist, my parents

:41:07. > :41:11.were very proud of the Queen as were many of their generation who were

:41:12. > :41:17.contemporaries of that part of the Royal family, and our family over

:41:18. > :41:21.many years enjoyed watching all the Royal events on TV, the royal

:41:22. > :41:26.wedding, the annual Trooping of the Colour, we always enjoyed getting

:41:27. > :41:31.into the spirit of the occasion and felt very patriotic alongside so

:41:32. > :41:34.many others, who have been so proud of everything our Queen has

:41:35. > :41:41.achieved. I know that my late mother in particular where she alive to day

:41:42. > :41:46.would be both thrilled and particularly humbles to know that I

:41:47. > :41:50.am standing here on behalf of North Tyneside to wish our Queen not only

:41:51. > :41:59.a very happy birthday but also a very many happy returns. Thank you

:42:00. > :42:02.very much Mr Speaker. In the Windsor constituency, the history of the

:42:03. > :42:06.monarchy runs deep and wide. From the border last got through the

:42:07. > :42:10.great Park to the barracks and the charities, good causes and hospitals

:42:11. > :42:13.and schools and way beyond. The magnificent Windsor Castle is both

:42:14. > :42:20.at the heart of the local activities but also can be seen nationwide. In

:42:21. > :42:24.many ways Her Majesty runs an open home and an open life full stop very

:42:25. > :42:31.few people have not paid a visit all to Windsor Castle, and it would be

:42:32. > :42:38.unusual not to see her and her family out in the constituency.

:42:39. > :42:46.In He has been a consistent forge for social cohesion in her entire 90

:42:47. > :42:51.year, she has been a beacon for civilised people, both at home, and

:42:52. > :42:57.abroad. There are few features of our national life which are brought

:42:58. > :43:01.such consist sentence is, stability and happiness and joy and

:43:02. > :43:07.celebration over such a long period of history. As the head of state, he

:43:08. > :43:14.role is more than symbolic, she is more than a figurehead.

:43:15. > :43:19.She has been a warm and consistent presence in often harsh and a

:43:20. > :43:23.changing world. So on behalf of mice, the country, my constituent,

:43:24. > :43:29.the Commonwealth and the world I sent my heartfelt congratulations to

:43:30. > :43:36.you on your 0th birthday, long may you reign and long may you rain rein

:43:37. > :43:45.in the forces that seek to divide us. Thank you for this opportunity,

:43:46. > :43:52.to do so on behalf of my friends, the member for Carmarthen. The good

:43:53. > :43:58.wishes of my member for Brighton Pavilion who can't be here. Mr

:43:59. > :44:01.Speaker, as has been said the Queen has a remarkable record of service

:44:02. > :44:06.throughout which she has been Sloan a model devoice to her duty and

:44:07. > :44:11.dignity in public life, I think this is particularly instructive in his

:44:12. > :44:19.days when so many feel compulsion to reveal all. It's a caution in

:44:20. > :44:22.respect of our activities here, as she has outlasted so many here today

:44:23. > :44:28.and gone tomorrow Prime Ministers and leaders of the opposition for

:44:29. > :44:33.that matter. Now, Professor Davis was once my parents' MP, a liberal

:44:34. > :44:39.MP for a very short period between Lloyd George's moving to the other

:44:40. > :44:45.place as the Earl and the post-war disillusion and the landslide that

:44:46. > :44:49.swept him and them away. Many years later standing on my home square

:44:50. > :44:54.with some gentlemen of a similar vintage, they were approached by a

:44:55. > :45:00.younger man who said, you three standing there, you are looking

:45:01. > :45:03.good. You are looking good. To which Davis replied there are four ages to

:45:04. > :45:08.man, when you are young, when you are middle-aged, when king good. You

:45:09. > :45:11.are looking good. To which Davis replied there are four ages to man,

:45:12. > :45:13.when you are young, when you are middle-aged, when you are older and

:45:14. > :45:16.king good. You are looking good. To which Davis replied there are four

:45:17. > :45:18.ages to man, when you are young, when you are middle-aged, when you

:45:19. > :45:21.are older and when "You're looking good. "The Queen is looking good,

:45:22. > :45:23.and that is both a statement of fact and symbolic of the personal respect

:45:24. > :45:26.and affection that she enjoys so widely. Mr Speaker, today is a

:45:27. > :45:33.public celebration, but also more importantly, a joyous family

:45:34. > :45:38.occasion, so I will close by saying... By wishing her a very

:45:39. > :45:42.happy birthday and on her 9 #09 birthday, best wishes for the

:45:43. > :45:49.future. -- 90th. Thank you for your

:45:50. > :45:53.indulgence and I rise momentarily to wish Her Majesty The Queen many

:45:54. > :45:59.happy pressures on behalf of his constituents? St Helens North, one

:46:00. > :46:03.of whom Nora Collins celebrates her birthday day. I thought it was very

:46:04. > :46:09.appropriate that I spoke to her this morning, because of course, Her

:46:10. > :46:13.Majesty The Queen has done so much to further good relations between

:46:14. > :46:18.Britain and Ireland and as chair of the all party group on the Irish in

:46:19. > :46:23.Britain, I know the community here felt a very special pride at her

:46:24. > :46:31.state visit to Ireland and the visit here by the President of Ireland. So

:46:32. > :46:40.on behalf of the all-party group and the community here, I say... Happy

:46:41. > :46:44.birthday to Her Majesty The Queen. Thank you very much Mr Speaker, and

:46:45. > :46:47.of course as you know, it will be you that properly summarises this

:46:48. > :46:50.debate because it is for you to choose the words that are

:46:51. > :46:56.appropriate from this debate when you go to the Palace with the 12

:46:57. > :47:00.others of us, so this isn't really a summing up, speech, more a

:47:01. > :47:03.contribution of my own, and I am grateful for that opportunity, not

:47:04. > :47:07.least because I think I am the only member of this House who has ever

:47:08. > :47:11.sworn the oath of allegiance to Her Majesty and her successor as a

:47:12. > :47:14.member of Parliament and a clerk in holy order, and so personally I

:47:15. > :47:18.would like to thank enormously for the faithfulness she has shown to

:47:19. > :47:23.the Church of England, and for that matter, the church of Scotland. She

:47:24. > :47:32.manages to be am by dextrous in that as so many other things. It reminds

:47:33. > :47:37.when Norman St John to see vas, he greeted the then Queen Mother at the

:47:38. > :47:44.foot of the stairs of the Royal Opera House, and as they climbed the

:47:45. > :47:48.stair, the crowd burst into spontaneous applause at which Her

:47:49. > :47:53.Majesty was distinctly third heard to say, lucky thing, two Queens for

:47:54. > :48:03.the price of one. I cannot pretend to know Her Majesty well or indeed

:48:04. > :48:08.at all, really, but I did canvas once in a by-election the staff at

:48:09. > :48:14.Balmoral, we didn't get very many supporters I have to say, in fact I

:48:15. > :48:18.think we came fourth as well. However, my father played a very

:48:19. > :48:24.important part in the Coronation in 1953. He was serving in the RAF at

:48:25. > :48:29.the time, and was at saint Lytham, when 31 group based in north Wales,

:48:30. > :48:33.decided to send 40 male and female RAF officers, to march in the

:48:34. > :48:37.Coronation, they decided they somebody had to brush up their

:48:38. > :48:42.marching skills and so my 19-year-old father was sent for, and

:48:43. > :48:46.was flown up in a tiny aeroplane and spent a few days with the officers.

:48:47. > :48:52.Apparently my father was so good at shouting at people, that he wasn't

:48:53. > :48:58.needed for the Coronation itself. I make... I make this point simply to

:48:59. > :49:05.underline how many people's lives she Her Majesty has touched. She has

:49:06. > :49:11.visited the Rhondda many time, indeed a photo of her in 1989 was

:49:12. > :49:15.used for the 24 pence stamp to celebrate her 40th anniversary in

:49:16. > :49:19.19926789 when she came to the Rhondda in June 2002, I was asked to

:49:20. > :49:24.walk with her, past the great number of people who lined the street, all

:49:25. > :49:28.of whom were singing she'll be stopping here when she comes. I knew

:49:29. > :49:34.my office manager Kevin Morgan was going to be there with his two young

:49:35. > :49:40.son, Sam and Owen, so when I saw their little flags waving I gently

:49:41. > :49:45.steered Her Majesty towards them, the two boys were still young and

:49:46. > :49:47.shy, so m and Owen, so when I saw their little flags waving I gently

:49:48. > :49:50.steered Her Majesty towards them, the two boys were still young and

:49:51. > :49:52.shy, so as we approached, I said "Go on then, say hello." Unfortunately

:49:53. > :49:55.Her Majesty thought I was referring to her, all right young man, she

:49:56. > :50:00.barked back at me. So she is probably not going to be reading

:50:01. > :50:05.this speech later. The truth is she has had to put up with a lot in her

:50:06. > :50:09.time. She has had to suffer a stream point of view fission and she is

:50:10. > :50:14.getting another is in a few day, 160 Prime Ministers in all her dominions

:50:15. > :50:19.and Mr Speaker living with change is one of the most difficult things in

:50:20. > :50:24.the world, especially when you are almost powerless yourself to affect

:50:25. > :50:31.it. Yet, that is exactly what she has done, I belief, in admirable

:50:32. > :50:36.style. Technology has changed haster than any other generation, social

:50:37. > :50:40.attitudes have changed dramatically too, in 1952, it is strange to think

:50:41. > :50:50.there were just 17 women in Parliament. 18 I suppose if you

:50:51. > :50:54.include her. Today, there are 191 women MPs, and 201 women peers,

:50:55. > :51:00.still not enough but better than it was. It seems incredible today but

:51:01. > :51:03.in 19 a 5 parents of children with cerebral palsy found it impossible

:51:04. > :51:08.to find anyone to educate their children. Which is why three parents

:51:09. > :51:16.set up the s society which came Scope. We have made enormous

:51:17. > :51:20.strides. The First Minister for disabled people. I think the Royal

:51:21. > :51:28.Family have played a dramatic role in changing the attitudes by the way

:51:29. > :51:32.they have each out. Likewise when the diagnostics and cities tits

:51:33. > :51:35.manual of mental disorders was published it classified

:51:36. > :51:41.homosexuality as a mental disorder e yet very few today would hold that

:51:42. > :51:45.view, and you can even get married in Parliament, in the same sex

:51:46. > :51:49.ceremony. So when you think what she has lived through, the Second World

:51:50. > :51:54.War, the Cold War, the Falklands, the end of empire, the troubles and

:51:55. > :51:59.the peace in Northern Ireland, it is difficult, I think, not to feel in

:52:00. > :52:04.Shakespeare's world at the end of King Lear, the oldest Ms Borne most,

:52:05. > :52:10.we that are young will never see to much or live so long. For all the

:52:11. > :52:13.Pomp and world at the end of King Lear, the oldest Ms Borne most, we

:52:14. > :52:16.that are young will never see to much or live so long. For all the

:52:17. > :52:18.Pomp and Circumstance and the reason our @s, Republicans and monarchists

:52:19. > :52:22.alike admire and respect her, is because of her fundamental decency,

:52:23. > :52:29.her manifest commitment to do her duty and herable to keep her

:52:30. > :52:35.council. At the end of Thomas Hardy's novel the peasant girl pays

:52:36. > :52:38.tribute in simple terms to Giles. A good man who did good things, I

:52:39. > :52:47.think we could all agree we should surely say the same of Her Majesty,

:52:48. > :52:54.a good woman, who does good things. Thank you. It is my privilege and

:52:55. > :52:57.honour to conclude this debate and commend the motion no House. The

:52:58. > :53:01.Prime Minister singled out the importance of faith to Her Majesty.

:53:02. > :53:07.Earlier your chaplain led us in extra special prayers to which I

:53:08. > :53:24.will add one which used to be sung in Catholic Churches. Churches. IN

:53:25. > :53:31.LATIN. So fittingly adorned may she be enable to avoid all foul tame

:53:32. > :53:35.takes a with her Prince Consort may she be welcomed by you who are the

:53:36. > :53:42.way, the truth and the light. We have heard from memory, from all

:53:43. > :53:48.parts of the United Kingdom, and all languages said, Gallic, Welsh,

:53:49. > :53:55.Irish, Latin, as well as the Queen's language. Paying individual tributes

:53:56. > :53:58.to Her Majesty, citing individual story, stories of their

:53:59. > :54:03.constituency, widely reflecting on her service to this nation and the

:54:04. > :54:05.Commonwealth. As the Prime Minister pointed out, the influence of our

:54:06. > :54:10.Queen started long before she was crowned. We have heard of her

:54:11. > :54:15.special children's broadcast during the war, and her service in the ATS.

:54:16. > :54:20.I understand as a young girl she reminded her father of the poem good

:54:21. > :54:24.Knows known as the gate to the year. Part of which he recited in the 1939

:54:25. > :54:28.Christmas broadcast, in which he said I said to the man who stood at

:54:29. > :54:33.the gate of the year, give me a light that I may tread safely into

:54:34. > :54:36.the unknown and he replied. Go out into the darkness and put your hand

:54:37. > :54:41.into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer

:54:42. > :54:45.than a known way. This world is uncertain, Mr Speaker, but Her

:54:46. > :54:50.Majesty brings a constant, calming presence, full of good council, for

:54:51. > :54:55.the, all the Prime Ministers an our Parliament and for the nation and

:54:56. > :55:00.the Commonwealth. Especially shown by her leadership, as Head of the

:55:01. > :55:04.Commonwealth and the many challenges that, that joy has brought to her

:55:05. > :55:08.and her country, she has seen much change in her 90 year, I have

:55:09. > :55:13.thought of her as being timeless, the steady hand, but keeping up with

:55:14. > :55:18.the times. Technology is being used to commence her today. The hashtag

:55:19. > :55:24.happy birthday your Majesty is trending. The Google icon is happy

:55:25. > :55:27.90th birthday ma'am. As many people are excited and overjoyed to meet

:55:28. > :55:33.the Queen. I recall a few years ago when she opened the New Broadcasting

:55:34. > :55:37.House at the BBC, when she Mel Rabibly and deliberately walked into

:55:38. > :55:43.the live news broad cacking. Even if the cool wizards were running and

:55:44. > :55:47.climbing on desks simply to catch a glimpse of their special visitor,

:55:48. > :55:51.she touches all hearts and up and down the country tonight, people

:55:52. > :55:55.will join in a tra decisional form of ceremony, the lighting of beacon,

:55:56. > :55:58.I will make it back to celebrate one of those events W have heard about

:55:59. > :56:04.further celebrations that will continue later this year, I for one

:56:05. > :56:10.hope she will enjoy time with her family, and with her as well as with

:56:11. > :56:15.the wider nation, but for now, in commending this motion I conclude

:56:16. > :56:21.with part of the National Anthem which is choice irgift -- choicest

:56:22. > :56:29.gifts restore. To sing with heart and voice, God Save The Queen.

:56:30. > :56:35.? The question is the motion for a humble address on the order paper,

:56:36. > :56:37.as many of that opinion say aye. I think the ayes have it. The ayes

:56:38. > :56:50.have it. About to move that the house do now

:56:51. > :56:58.or journal. The question is that the house now adjourn. Mr Peter Aldous.

:56:59. > :57:03.Thank you Mr Speaker. I am pleased to secure this debate as it provides

:57:04. > :57:08.the opportunity to examine how the government are getting on in

:57:09. > :57:11.preventing article 17 of the reformed Common fisheries policy

:57:12. > 3:09:49which came into operation on the 1st of January in 2014. Article 17

3:09:50 > 3:09:49presents the opportunity to regenerate the fishing industry

3:09:50 > 3:09:49imports such as Lowestoft in my constituency. It has the potential

3:09:50 > 3:09:49to bring economic and social benefits to coastal communities

3:09:50 > 3:09:49around the UK, and will also help the government achieve their

3:09:50 > 3:09:49objectives of rebalancing the economy away from London and the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49south-east. In facilitating much needed regeneration of coastal

3:09:50 > 3:09:49areas, where many communities feel that they have been neglected for

3:09:50 > 3:09:49far too long. There is a concern which while the government has

3:09:50 > 3:09:49introduced some instant initiative is to comply with 17, they do not

3:09:50 > 3:09:49have a inherent long-term strategy in place to ensure that it's very

3:09:50 > 3:09:49important objectives are met. Prince Beachley -- put simply, the way the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49Common fishing policy works is that an overarching policies put in

3:09:50 > 3:09:49Brussels, and then individual states pursue their own initiatives to

3:09:50 > 3:09:49ensure that the framework is met. Under the previous 2002 regime, the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49member states were given a very wide discretion and the equivalent policy

3:09:50 > 3:09:49framework was very loosely worded letters, and it was in article 23

3:09:50 > 3:09:49from 2002, which states: each member state shall decide that vessels

3:09:50 > 3:09:49flying its flag on the method of allocating wishing opportunities

3:09:50 > 3:09:49assigned to that member state in accordance with community law, it

3:09:50 > 3:09:49should inform the commission of the allocation method. Very wide

3:09:50 > 3:09:49discretion to do what they will, only they then had to tell the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49commission what they were doing. This article has been replaced by a

3:09:50 > 3:09:49Article 17 which is far more specific. I will just read it. It

3:09:50 > 3:09:49says: well when allocating opportunities alone to them as per

3:09:50 > 3:09:49article 16 member states shall use transparent and objective criteria

3:09:50 > 3:09:49day including those from an environmental, social and economic

3:09:50 > 3:09:49nature. The criteria to be used may include inter-alia, the impact of

3:09:50 > 3:09:49fishing on the environment, compliance, attribution to economic

3:09:50 > 3:09:49levels. The opportunities allocated to the states shall provide

3:09:50 > 3:09:49incentives to fishing vessels, deploying selective here, or using

3:09:50 > 3:09:49techniques with released environmental impacts such as

3:09:50 > 3:09:49reduced energy consumption or habitats damage. As the speaker I

3:09:50 > 3:09:49shall just highlight some of the important requirements from this

3:09:50 > 3:09:49more targeted policy strategy. Firstly, there is the need for

3:09:50 > 3:09:49transparency. This is particularly welcome for too long domestic and

3:09:50 > 3:09:49indeed European fishing has been unnecessarily complicated and

3:09:50 > 3:09:49opaque, and actually an example of this is trying to find out who

3:09:50 > 3:09:49actually held the fishing quota. That was shrouded in mystery until

3:09:50 > 3:09:49my honourable friend sitting to my side, the former minister, the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49member for Newbury, actually did introduce the register that has to

3:09:50 > 3:09:49be produced, and before you had that register, you had all manner of some

3:09:50 > 3:09:49might describe as urban myths developing, as to who actually held

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the fishing quota. What a car companies, was it even football

3:09:50 > 3:09:49clubs? Secondly, in allocating opportunities, government are

3:09:50 > 3:09:49required to give consideration to three criteria. Environmental,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49social, and economic factors. This means maximising the economic and

3:09:50 > 3:09:49social benefits to UK coastal communities, but at the same time

3:09:50 > 3:09:49minimising the environmental impact of fishing, which is the activity

3:09:50 > 3:09:49that does have the greatest ecological impact on the UK's

3:09:50 > 3:09:49precious and vitally important marine ecosystem. It is vitally

3:09:50 > 3:09:49important that the allocation of fishing opportunities is based on

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the targeting of these multiple and diverse objectives will stop if it

3:09:50 > 3:09:49is not, history has shown down the ages, time and time again, that fish

3:09:50 > 3:09:49stocks decline, market forces push inextricably towards industry

3:09:50 > 3:09:49concentration of the muscling out of small fishermen, small businesses,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49and coastal communities are weakened and undermined, and their economies

3:09:50 > 3:09:49then take off in decades to recover. Thirdly, article 17 encourages

3:09:50 > 3:09:49member states to pursue a variety of methods pursuing fishing

3:09:50 > 3:09:49opportunities. No longer should they be one trick ponies were lying just

3:09:50 > 3:09:49on catch history, but consider a whole package of measures and issues

3:09:50 > 3:09:49to impact on the environment, the history of violence, the country for

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the economy, the incentivising of fishing vessels to deploy selective

3:09:50 > 3:09:49fishing gear, the promotion of fishing techniques that have reduced

3:09:50 > 3:09:49environmental impact, and the reduction of energy consumption, or

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the reducing of habitats damage. This the speaker, the government

3:09:50 > 3:09:49have signed up to a policy that can actually help bring prosperity back

3:09:50 > 3:09:49to our coastal communities. They have been provided with a number of

3:09:50 > 3:09:49tools in the past to do so, and I have two questions. Firstly, are

3:09:50 > 3:09:49they using all the endeavours in pursuit of these policies, and

3:09:50 > 3:09:49secondly are they using all those tools in the box? It is vital that

3:09:50 > 3:09:49they do so, as there are fishing communities all around our coast

3:09:50 > 3:09:49which are in urgent need of support. In the past those communities, those

3:09:50 > 3:09:49fishermen, those people working in the industry have delivered so much

3:09:50 > 3:09:49to this country, not just by putting good, wholesome food on our plates,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49but in providing jobs in a supply chain that stretches far and wide

3:09:50 > 3:09:49inland. What has happened in Lowestoft in my constituency in the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49past 40 years is a vivid illustration of how the policymakers

3:09:50 > 3:09:49have got it terribly wrong. Now, as a matter of urgency, we need to do

3:09:50 > 3:09:49things, we need to write these mistakes of the past. Lowestoft was

3:09:50 > 3:09:49built on fishing. It was the fishing capital of the southern north sea.

3:09:50 > 3:09:49From one side of the Hamilton dock to the other, one could walk from

3:09:50 > 3:09:49boat to boat. Today, the. Is virtually empty. In the past four

3:09:50 > 3:09:49decades, low stock has been hit hard by overfishing, Miss peeling of

3:09:50 > 3:09:49issues by politicians and vulnerabilities of the very make-up

3:09:50 > 3:09:49of the industry, whereby large trawlers help sustain the small

3:09:50 > 3:09:49boats. All the way that the quota system has been allocated has been a

3:09:50 > 3:09:49major factor in Lowestoft's decline, and has taken away those trawlers

3:09:50 > 3:09:49that were the cornerstone of the industry. The six affiliated vessels

3:09:50 > 3:09:49of the Lowestoft news organisation this year have a fixed quota

3:09:50 > 3:09:49allocation of 80000 and 419 units. This is a significant amount of

3:09:50 > 3:09:49fish, but none of it is landed in Lowestoft. 68% goes to the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49Netherlands and 30% to Scotland. Boats such as those in the Lowestoft

3:09:50 > 3:09:49PO, these solar Fido, this solar Rio Grande owing... To name a few, babe

3:09:50 > 3:09:49bring very little if any economic benefit to Lowestoft. Lowestoft

3:09:50 > 3:09:49fleet today is made of ten small boats. Nationally, the under tens

3:09:50 > 3:09:49comprise of 77% of the UK fleet, 65% of the workforce, but received only

3:09:50 > 3:09:494% of the total quota available. As from the 1st of April this year,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49many of these boats in Lowestoft are only able to catch 100 kilograms of

3:09:50 > 3:09:49skate, and two tonnes of card per month. This is not enough for

3:09:50 > 3:09:49skippers to sustain a business, let alone earn a living. Mr Speaker of

3:09:50 > 3:09:49this story is not unique to Lowestoft. It is a tale for all

3:09:50 > 3:09:49around our coast. It is being repeated all around the UK, it is

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the reason why we cannot delay from properly and fully lamenting Article

3:09:50 > 3:09:4917. It is fair to say that from a legal perspective the government are

3:09:50 > 3:09:49complying with the requirements of Article 17, that was the conclusion

3:09:50 > 3:09:49that Mrs Justice Andrews reached in determining Greenpeace's traditional

3:09:50 > 3:09:49review of January this year. The government have carried out some

3:09:50 > 3:09:49welcome initiatives, such as the permanent transfer of underused

3:09:50 > 3:09:49quota to the under tens. This is worth an extra 678 tonnes in 2015.

3:09:50 > 3:09:49The inshore fleet will also benefit from an extra 1000 tonnes this year.

3:09:50 > 3:09:49However one can argue that these initiatives was much welcome our

3:09:50 > 3:09:49piecemeal allocations, and what is lacking is a clearly articulated and

3:09:50 > 3:09:49overarching framework for the full implementation of Article 17. We

3:09:50 > 3:09:49need, dare I say it, not just a long-term economic plan, but a

3:09:50 > 3:09:49long-term economic social and environmental plan. The government

3:09:50 > 3:09:49can be criticised for adhering to a system I think that is too strict,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49that relies exclusively on catch history, and doesn't make full use

3:09:50 > 3:09:49of the other initiatives that article 17 positively endorses, and

3:09:50 > 3:09:49actively promotes. As I have said already, there is a need to use

3:09:50 > 3:09:49other tools in the box. Other governments are doing this, and they

3:09:50 > 3:09:49are pursuing a course which I would suggest the UK Government should

3:09:50 > 3:09:49seriously consider following. Belgian, Denmark, France, Germany,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49and Sweden are all moving away from systems for the allocation of

3:09:50 > 3:09:49fishing opportunities that were based exclusively on historic catch

3:09:50 > 3:09:49levels. In Belgium, there is a requirement is to contribute to the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49local economy, in Denmark there is the objective of aiming at best

3:09:50 > 3:09:49economic reforms and investing in energy consumption reduction

3:09:50 > 3:09:49methods. In France market orientation and social economic

3:09:50 > 3:09:49equilibrium are considered alongside historic catch levels. In Germany,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49historic catch levels likewise will remain important, but measures have

3:09:50 > 3:09:49been introduced to reduce the Imp tract of fishing on the Marine

3:09:50 > 3:09:49environment and reduce discards and by catch. The contribution to the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49society and local amenities is also taken very seriously there. In

3:09:50 > 3:09:49criteria is -- in Sweden, economic criteria are incredibly important.

3:09:50 > 3:09:49The policies pursued in Ireland are particularly ill and I would urge

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the Minister to look at them very closely to see how they could be

3:09:50 > 3:09:49applied in the UK. Fishing industries and fishing communities

3:09:50 > 3:09:49in our two countries have a great deal in common. In Ireland, quota is

3:09:50 > 3:09:49assigned to vessels, and if it is not used it is returned to the state

3:09:50 > 3:09:49for reallocation. Inshore fisheries operate under a community quota

3:09:50 > 3:09:49system. There is a monthly catch allocation for stocks under

3:09:50 > 3:09:49pressure. A specific Irish measure which I think we should seriously

3:09:50 > 3:09:49consider adopting is that of consultation with those actively

3:09:50 > 3:09:49involved in local fishing communities, those people in Ireland

3:09:50 > 3:09:49as in the UK who ultimately know their industry, know their water is

3:09:50 > 3:09:49best. There was a consultation in Ireland when the allocation

3:09:50 > 3:09:49framework was set up, and when amendments were made to it, they are

3:09:50 > 3:09:49always consulted upon. It is also appropriate to look outside the EU.

3:09:50 > 3:09:49In Canada, which is Colombia now have one of the most comprehensive

3:09:50 > 3:09:49integrated and successful catch share programmes in the world, which

3:09:50 > 3:09:49takes full account of economic, social, and environmental

3:09:50 > 3:09:49considerations. The starting point is there for setting up this

3:09:50 > 3:09:49consultation likewise was public consultation. With an independent

3:09:50 > 3:09:49arbitrator then submitting recommendations to committee then

3:09:50 > 3:09:49adopted them. In conclusion, Mr Speaker, what is needed, I feel, is

3:09:50 > 3:09:49clearly and well articulated frameworks in which the UK fishermen

3:09:50 > 3:09:49and industries can work, then invest in businesses, can make a living.

3:09:50 > 3:09:49This will lead to a healthy industry, benefiting coastal

3:09:50 > 3:09:49communities around the UK. With the allocation of fishing opportunities

3:09:50 > 3:09:49coming up in 2017, there is now a real chance to put this system in

3:09:50 > 3:09:49place. And I'll be grateful if the minister would give an assurance

3:09:50 > 3:09:49that he will look at doing this and his officials to. Last May, Geoffrey

3:09:50 > 3:09:49Melton, this gap of Serene Dawn from Lowestoft lost his leg aboard his

3:09:50 > 3:09:49boat, got a pathetically, and is about to return to sea. We owe it to

3:09:50 > 3:09:49people like Geoffrey to do all we can to ensure that he had every

3:09:50 > 3:09:49chance of returning a decent living and returning prosperity to the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49community in which he lives. Ve it. The ayes have it.

3:09:50 > 3:09:49I would like to thank him for the opportunity of speaking on this

3:09:50 > 3:09:49subject. And for his long commitment to the fishing industry in Lowestoft

3:09:50 > 3:09:49and beyond, I got to know him well, even before the election, that when

3:09:50 > 3:09:49he joined us in this House, if he, the fact is that if he was just

3:09:50 > 3:09:49doing things for political purposes he probably has more newsagent in

3:09:50 > 3:09:49his constituency than active musher men, his many -- fishermen, his

3:09:50 > 3:09:49commitment to them is credit to his love of his town and community. I

3:09:50 > 3:09:49want to take this opportunity to add to what he said, and to say that at

3:09:50 > 3:09:49last, it may not seem like it for some members of the fishing

3:09:50 > 3:09:49industry, but last, there is some good news in terms of rising stocks

3:09:50 > 3:09:49in our seas. The sort of iconic species that people use as a

3:09:50 > 3:09:49measure, of the health of our seas is cod. Cod in the North Sea, the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49biomass of cod in the North Sea is rising sun Stan chalet. There is

3:09:50 > 3:09:49more to do but it is credit to the fish American, to the scientist,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49those in organisations like Defra and others who are not always a

3:09:50 > 3:09:49fisherman's best friends who have relentlessly tried to find new

3:09:50 > 3:09:49methods of conservation of stocks and are starting to see it work. The

3:09:50 > 3:09:49sea is is a complex echo system, and what might assist one stock might

3:09:50 > 3:09:49damage another. We haven't got time today to go into this. What I want

3:09:50 > 3:09:49to pay tribute to what my honourable friend said is to talk about people,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49if in Government and in poll snakers and among NGOs and the chancelleries

3:09:50 > 3:09:49of Europe where matters are discussed, that is all that happen,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49then we fail. We have engage those on whose lives and on whose

3:09:50 > 3:09:49livelihoods the health of things like fishistic os depend. It is not

3:09:50 > 3:09:49just a, the sadly few fishermen his has left in hiss constituency, it is

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the heartbeat of coastal community, it is about something that goes very

3:09:50 > 3:09:49deep in the psyche of the British people, whether you live in the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49coastal region like his or about as far from the coast as you can in

3:09:50 > 3:09:49constituencies like mine. So, combining those three stools of

3:09:50 > 3:09:49sustainability, economy, environment, and of course social

3:09:50 > 3:09:49factors, is so important, and I well remember the negotiations about

3:09:50 > 3:09:49article 17, some of which took place through the night, I can remember

3:09:50 > 3:09:49being prevented from getting in there to make the case for

3:09:50 > 3:09:49sustainability by a blockade by Greenpeace which I thought was a

3:09:50 > 3:09:49strange irony. But really looking forward, I think there are something

3:09:50 > 3:09:49very important that the minister needs to take away with him. One of

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the great wins in reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, was not the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49headline issue which most people were concerned about, which is the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49absurd necessity by fish American at that time to throw away perfectly

3:09:50 > 3:09:49edible fish, an affront to all of us, quite rightly and a welcome

3:09:50 > 3:09:49reform that we were able to achieve and although we are not there yet it

3:09:50 > 3:09:49is starting to take place. The ending of discards, for me, the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49great win was a legally binding commitment to fish to maximum

3:09:50 > 3:09:49sustainable yield. And what we have discovered, recently, is that still,

3:09:50 > 3:09:4950% of stocks in British waters are not fished sustainably. If you want

3:09:50 > 3:09:49to say the glass is half full you can say half, that is a big

3:09:50 > 3:09:49improvement on a few years ago, there so much more to do. And where

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the splitical effort has go is in the council of minister, will the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49remains a roll solve in European particle that remains in this

3:09:50 > 3:09:49particle. In the Parliaments and governments of our devolved

3:09:50 > 3:09:49administration, there are remains a resolve in the Commission, but in

3:09:50 > 3:09:49order to carry through the bold ambitions that were agreed

3:09:50 > 3:09:49unanimously in the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy it requires

3:09:50 > 3:09:49great leadership by our excellent Fisheries Minister and others, in

3:09:50 > 3:09:49trying to drive through those reforms and make them effective. I

3:09:50 > 3:09:49would just conclude by saying that I hold to nobody the folly and the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49failures of the Common Fisheries Policy, I have been as rule about

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the Common Fisheries Policy as anybody, and reforming it was

3:09:50 > 3:09:49something that I enjoyed doing, and felt that we as a Parliament were

3:09:50 > 3:09:49very united in achieving. But, we shouldn't kid ourselves that the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49Common Fisheries Policy is the only problem, in fact, if you look at

3:09:50 > 3:09:49Professor Callum Roberts interest graph of the decline of fish stocks

3:09:50 > 3:09:49since the late 19th century. You can see two peaks in cod stocks in the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49north sea, one between 1914 and 1918, one between 1939 and 19456789

3:09:50 > 3:09:49I will let honourable members work out what was going on then. In the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49'70s it doesn't blip. What we have of course as a society done, is get

3:09:50 > 3:09:49ever more #2ec logical advantage in terms of harvesting wild fish, we

3:09:50 > 3:09:49need and Parliament and regulatety authorities have been behind the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49curve, with more regional control and with understanding that we have

3:09:50 > 3:09:49to involve catches as well as scientists and others in achieving

3:09:50 > 3:09:49this. It is vital. I will also finish by saying I applaud the way

3:09:50 > 3:09:49my honourable friend has looked abroad for good practise. Because

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the catch share schemes I have -- schemes I have seen offer great

3:09:50 > 3:09:49opportunities for fishermen to buy into a rising boyo mass, to have

3:09:50 > 3:09:49something of value when you are helping increase the, the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49harvestable surplus of a stock, you are increasing the value of your

3:09:50 > 3:09:49right to fish it. And that gives you something either to hand down your

3:09:50 > 3:09:49child, or to sell to another fisherman coming into the business

3:09:50 > 3:09:49when you want to eretire. There is cause for optimism. We have to

3:09:50 > 3:09:49remember that it is not easy, there is much more to do in complex in

3:09:50 > 3:09:49environment. It requires political will. It requires resolve and people

3:09:50 > 3:09:49like my honourable friend who represent these places round our

3:09:50 > 3:09:49coastline, to continue to be be a great champion for the health of our

3:09:50 > 3:09:49sea, and for those whose livelihoods defend on them.

3:09:50 > 3:09:49Thank you very much Mr Speaker. It is a great privilege to be here, the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49Minister of State responsible for fisheries can't be here and it is a

3:09:50 > 3:09:49great privilege for me to be able to hear these speeches, which, reveal

3:09:50 > 3:09:49just how much care affection, and thought has gonen in from the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49honourable members in thinking through the issues of complex

3:09:50 > 3:09:49fisheries. If I can reply briefly, because this

3:09:50 > 3:09:49is really the Minister of State's subject rather than mine, a couple

3:09:50 > 3:09:49of observations on Defra's behalf. First we accept the importance of

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the inshore fleet. It does have an economic value, and that economic

3:09:50 > 3:09:49value isn't just in terms of the amount of fish it catches, it is the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49contribution particularly to the ports, to the fleets in general, it

3:09:50 > 3:09:49is also the fact that often selective finishing done by the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49inshore fleet, the under 10 metre vessels is more

3:09:50 > 3:09:49environmentally-friendly, less likely to have biocatch, less likely

3:09:50 > 3:09:49to disrupt spawning stocks, much less likely to have problems round

3:09:50 > 3:09:49carbon emissions and generally ticks almost every box we are aiming for,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49in terms of sustainable fishery. It is true of course as the honourable

3:09:50 > 3:09:49member for Newbury pointed out, it isn't just about the economic, not

3:09:50 > 3:09:49just about the environment, it is the life blood of these ports, we

3:09:50 > 3:09:49love to go to these places, and see those fishing boat, they simply

3:09:50 > 3:09:49won't be there unless we protect the fleet. It connecting to our maritime

3:09:50 > 3:09:49threat as a nairks it inspires us to know the vessels can continue to

3:09:50 > 3:09:49operate, so it connects the tourism, the wider economy, it connects the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49environment and for all these reason, we need to pay attention to

3:09:50 > 3:09:49these fleets. We have to balance that, of course w

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the interests of the offshore fleets, the offshore fleets of

3:09:50 > 3:09:49course are catching far more of the fish that we eat. But 666,000 tonnes

3:09:50 > 3:09:49caught compared to about 42,000 caught by the inshore fleets and if

3:09:50 > 3:09:49you look at the quota stocks, the 42 thousand caught by the inshore

3:09:50 > 3:09:49fleets only about 5,000 are within the quota stock range, so there are

3:09:50 > 3:09:49about five-and-a-half thousand people supported by the offshore

3:09:50 > 3:09:49fleets and a lot of the benefit we get from fish, the nutrition we get,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49we know more and more about how good it is for our health, what a

3:09:50 > 3:09:49delicious healthy way it is to live depend on the offshore fleet as well

3:09:50 > 3:09:49as the insheer. Ho how do we get the balance right? The gut instinct of

3:09:50 > 3:09:49this Government is the pendulum did swing too far in favour of those

3:09:50 > 3:09:49offshore fleet, we need to begin to push that pendulum back, we have

3:09:50 > 3:09:49begun do that. The latest negotiations we have allocated as

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the honourable member has acknowledged, another 1,000 tonnes

3:09:50 > 3:09:49to the inshore fleet, we have began to use the opportunities provided by

3:09:50 > 3:09:49getting rid of the discards so more of the quota goes to the inshore

3:09:50 > 3:09:49fleets. The challenge is to have a good study to think about the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49future, rather than my pontificating from this despatch box an a subject

3:09:50 > 3:09:49I don't need know a great deal I would like the honourable members to

3:09:50 > 3:09:49sit down with our officials and talk in great detail through the issues

3:09:50 > 3:09:49raised, particularly the fantastic work he has done on looking at

3:09:50 > 3:09:49comparative study, Swedish fishing method, the French approach, the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49German approach, the Canadian approach. We have got a process now

3:09:50 > 3:09:49and that is fantastic. We have now got not just the processing people

3:09:50 > 3:09:49but we have retailer, the industry, we have fish salesman, coastal

3:09:50 > 3:09:49communities all discussing what more we can do for the inshore fleet, how

3:09:50 > 3:09:49much more of the quota they feel they can catch, how that is going to

3:09:50 > 3:09:49deliver economic benefit and we need the details from the two hob has

3:09:50 > 3:09:49been members to do that. -- honourable members to do that. It is

3:09:50 > 3:09:49true we are already incentivising more sustainable ways of catching,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49there are grants available from the European to upgrade the type of net

3:09:50 > 3:09:49you use in order to get more sustainable catching and we are

3:09:50 > 3:09:49already emphasising the economic links from people who possess these

3:09:50 > 3:09:49quotas in terms of providing jobs for coastal community, if I can

3:09:50 > 3:09:49conclude with a great tribute to what I thought was really serious

3:09:50 > 3:09:49piece of work, really impressive piece of research, some very very

3:09:50 > 3:09:49stimulating ideas, take up that challenge of thinking forward over

3:09:50 > 3:09:49the 25 years, a 25 year environment plan, we need to think how we

3:09:50 > 3:09:49ingreat fish and coastal communities into that plan. In addition to

3:09:50 > 3:09:49protecting this bit of maritime heritage think about the fish

3:09:50 > 3:09:49themselves, the finite and precious resource. Thank you very much.

3:09:50 > 3:09:49The question is this House do now adjourn, as many of that opinion say

3:09:50 > 3:09:49aye? The contrary no. I think the ayes have it. The ayes have it P

3:09:50 > 3:09:49Order. Order. That the end of the day in the

3:09:50 > 3:09:49Holocaust. We will go over live to the House of Lords. In the House of

3:09:50 > 3:09:49Commons. I think I echo Lord McAvoy in when

3:09:50 > 3:09:49we have heard from two eminent historians one should tread wearily,

3:09:50 > 3:09:49but tread I must. My Lord's the proposed amendment relates to a

3:09:50 > 3:09:49number of clauses in the bill which deal with the independent reporting

3:09:50 > 3:09:49commission. And this as was made clear, it was an issue made clear

3:09:50 > 3:09:49during second reading. I am grateful to him for giving the House an

3:09:50 > 3:09:49opportunity to debate it this afternoon. My noble friend has

3:09:50 > 3:09:50proposed that the reference