The Petition of William Leitch,
Declares that the Petitioner believes that it is a grievous injustice that the 1949 ship’s complement of HMS Concord were not recognised as a unit involved in the 1949 Yangtze campaign, due to what the Petitioner believes was a wrongful omission of important relevant documents relating to the role of HMS Concord between 28 and 31 July 1949, and declares that the Petitioner believes that those who served on HMS Concord between 28 and 31 July 1949 deserve justice, remedy and reparation.
The Petitioner therefore requests that the House of Commons sets up a Select Committee to conduct a comprehensive enquiry into the role of HMS Concord in the Yangtze campaign between 28 and 31 July 1949.
And the Petitioner remains, etc.—[Presented by Graeme Morrice, Official Report, 8 December 2011; Vol. 537, c. 5P.]
[P000987]
Observations from the Leader of the House of Commons:
It is for the House of Commons, and not the Government, to consider the creation of new Select Committees.
In considering the creation of any new Committee, the House will want to be mindful of approach set out in the First Report 2008-09 of the House of Commons Reform Committee, that
“The House must also seek to reduce the numbers of committees, ending overlapping or duplicate remits and rationing the scarce resource of Members time and commitment.” (Paragraph 55)
This is a view that the Government fully support.
It would be for existing committees of the House of Commons, such as the Defence Select Committee, to consider whether the issues raised by the petitioner are in need of inquiry.