TAMIL COMMUNITY ANNUAL REMEMBRANCE DAY

Early day motion 217, tabled 21 November 2006 by Keith Vaz (Labour). Signed by 30 members.

That this House deeply regrets the decision by Vanessa Cotton, ExCel Managing Director of Conferences and Events, to refuse to allow the Tamil community to hold their annual remembrance day at the ExCel Centre; notes that the event would have brought together approximately 20,000 members of the Tamil community; acknowledges that this is a huge disappointment for the vast majority of peaceful, professional Tamils in the UK; expresses strong frustration with ExCel's handling of this issue, which stigmatises a community the vast majority of whose members are British citizens; and wishes the Tamil community well in finding an alternative venue for their scaled-down remembrance event on 27th November 2006.

Signatures by party: Labour 20, Liberal Democrat 5, Conservative 2, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Plaid Cymru 1.