JOHN RAE AND THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE

Early day motion 1123, tabled 18 March 2009 by Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 28 members.

That this House records its admiration for all those in the 19th century who contributed to the exploration of the North-West Passage in Canada; congratulates Billy Connolly on his recent programme, Journey to the Edge of the World, retracing their steps; further congratulates Mr Connolly on his conclusion that it was not in fact Sir John Franklin but John Rae who was the first to discover the final link to the passage while searching for the lost Franklin crew in 1848; regrets that memorials to Sir John Franklin outside the Admiralty headquarters and inside Westminster Abbey still inaccurately describe Franklin as the first to discover the passage; and calls on the Ministry of Defence and the Abbey authorities to take the necessary steps to clarify the true position.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 16, Labour 7, Scottish National Party 3, DUP 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.