HMS CUMBERLAND

Early day motion 912, tabled 1 November 2005 by Gary Streeter (Conservative). Signed by 30 members.

That this House congratulates the crew of Plymouth-based frigate HMS Cumberland for their part in seizing a £200 million haul of cocaine in a recent operation in the Caribbean; acknowledges the skill and bravery of the armed forces generally; believes that this is precisely the kind of value-added role that a modern British navy should in part be performing in strategic parts of the world; regrets that cuts in the number of surface ships from December will mean that naval commitments in the Caribbean, the Gulf and the Indian Ocean will be severely reduced, threatening this kind of operation in future; and calls upon the Government to revisit its programme of surface ship reductions.

Signatures by party: Conservative 10, Labour 10, Liberal Democrat 6, DUP 3, Plaid Cymru 1.