ANNIVERSARY OF ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM HENDON

Early day motion 438, tabled 11 November 1997 by Andrew Dismore (Labour). Signed by 39 members.

That this House congratulates the Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon, on the 25th Anniversary of its opening by Her Majesty the Queen on 15th November 1972; notes that it was the first museum dedicated wholly to aviation in this country and has received millions of visitors during its 25 years and that it retains its status as the only publicly-funded national museum which concentrates solely on aviation. acknowledges that since its foundation the museum has grown significantly, both to reflect the rich history of the Royal Air Force and the museum's own ability to attract important but long forgotten artifacts from throughout the world; acknowledges the major developments at the museum, including in 1978 the Battle of Britain extension, in 1979 the out-station at RAF Cosford and in 1982 the Bomber Command Hall; notes that in 1996 the museum won the Museums and Galleries Commission Conservation Award for its work on the sole surviving Supermarine Southampton Flying Boat; and encourages the museum with its application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a major expansion at Hendon, which will take the museum into the 21st century and provide a unique interactive education facility for young people from both the local area and further afield.

Signatures by party: Labour 32, Conservative 4, Liberal Democrat 3.