Oral Answers to Questions

Baroness Laing of Elderslie Excerpts

Wednesday 24th April 2013 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Mrs Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest) (Con)]

1. What steps his Department has taken to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of David Livingstone.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (David Mundell)]

The Scotland Office is working closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the David Livingstone 200 partnership on the programme of celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Dr David Livingstone. On 19 March, the Scotland Office hosted a reception at Dover House following the commemorative service at Westminster Abbey in the presence of President Joyce Banda of Malawi.

[Mrs Laing]

I am sure the whole House will be pleased to hear what the Scotland Office is doing. It is fitting, especially to those of us who well remember childhood trips to Blantyre, the birthplace of David Livingstone, that tribute should be paid to him here in Parliament. Does my right hon. Friend agree that although a minority of Scots want to put artificial barriers around Scotland, the vast majority of Scots believe in the pioneering, enterprising spirit of David Livingstone, and want Scotland to play its full part in the United Kingdom, and indeed in the world in general?

[David Mundell]

I could not agree more. David Livingstone was both a great Scot and a great Briton, who had an outward, progressive-looking attitude to the world, which exemplifies why Scotland and Britain are better together.