HIGHLAND CLEARANCES

Early day motion 338, tabled 31 July 1997 by Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party). Signed by 13 members.

That this House notes that on a recent visit to New Zealand Her Majesty the Queen apologised to the Maori people for the treatment they received in the past at the hands of the British Government; further notes that the Prime Minister has apologised to the Irish people for the limited assistance the British Government gave to help the Irish people at the time of the potato famine; and therefore calls on the Prime Minister to apologise to the people of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland for the fact that the British Government did little to assist these people while, over a period of 140 years, they were cleared from their homes, land and country at great loss of life and scattered to the four corners of the earth by factors and landlords whose position was upheld by London Government.

Signatures by party: Labour 5, Scottish National Party 4, Plaid Cymru 3, Labour/Co-operative 1.