NATIONAL MEMORIAL TO WOMEN WHO SERVED IN THE BRITISH ARMED FORCES DURING WORLD WAR TWO

Early day motion 351, tabled 27 October 1997 by Hugh Bayley (Labour). Signed by 280 members.

That this House pays tribute to the 640,000 women who served in the armed forces during the Second World War; acknowledges the invaluable contribution made by others who served in the Land Army; munitions factories, fire brigades and other wartime occupations; expresses concern at the lack of public recognition of the difficult and dangerous tasks undertaken by the servicewomen, which included flying unarmed planes across the Atlantic and Europe, staffing ack-ack gun sites in support of the Allied war effort and working behind enemy lines in the Special Operations Executive; recognises that their contribution played an essential part in defeating Nazism; notes that Canada, Australia and the USA have national memorials to their World War Two servicewomen; supports the Royal Artillery Association campaign for a United Kingdom memorial to the brave servicewomen who fought for this country during the Second World War; recognises that the cost of erecting war memorials is traditionally borne by public subscription; and calls on the Government to do everything possible to locate a suitable and prominent position for a World War Two United Kingdom servicewomen's memorial.

Signatures by party: Labour 190, Conservative 39, Liberal Democrat 27, Labour/Co-operative 9, Scottish National Party 4, UUP 4, Plaid Cymru 3, DUP 1, Independent Conservative 1, UKUP 1, Unknown 1.