Construction of the UK’s National Holocaust Memorial took another step forward yesterday as the Holocaust Memorial Bill passed a major milestone in Parliament.
A detailed scrutiny process by parliamentary examiners which lasted almost 3 months has confirmed that the bill should be treated as ‘hybrid’, allowing those who believe they will be affected by the provisions of the bill to have the opportunity to express their views to parliament, as the bill is considered. The Parliamentary Examiners’ decision resolves the uncertainty and brings closer the opportunity for MPs from all sides of the House to express their support for the Memorial.
The Holocaust Memorial Bill seeks to update Victorian legislation and advance the construction of a new Memorial and learning center in Victoria Tower Gardens, Westminster.
Located next to the Houses of Parliament, the memorial will serve as a powerful reminder to all of society of the Holocaust, its victims, and where prejudice can lead if left unchallenged.
Secretary of State for Equalization, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, said:
The Holocaust is history’s most appalling example of cruelty, injustice and intolerance: the systematic attempt by a modern state to wipe out the entire Jewish people. It is deeply important that we remember the events of the Holocaust and all its victims and that we seek to understand the lessons it teaches Britain today.
We are privileged in this country to have among us many Holocaust survivors who have been willing to share their testimony. Unfortunately, this living testimony will not be with us forever. It is essential that we create this Memorial, at the very heart of our national life, to preserve the memory of what happened for us and for all future generations.
The Government is absolutely determined to complete the Holocaust Memorial. I am pleased that the Examiners have now reached their point of view on the bill’s classification so that it can now proceed through parliament. I know many parliamentarians from all sides of the House are eager to express their support and get the Memorial built.
Welcoming the bill’s progress, the UK Holocaust Memorial Trust Advisory Board, co-chairs The Rt Hon Lord Pickles and Ed Balls said:
Today’s decision by the examiners marks a vital step towards fulfilling our promise to build the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Center next to the Houses of Parliament in Victoria Tower Gardens. We are greatly encouraged by the Government’s determination to legislate, with the support of all parties, to make this possible. With the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, we are convinced that there is no better place to demonstrate our commitment to remember and learn of the Holocaust than at the heart of our democracy. We hope the bill receives royal assent so we can go ahead and build.
Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg BEM said:
I was 84 years old when Prime Minister David Cameron first promised us survivors a National Holocaust Memorial very close to the Houses of Parliament. Last month I celebrated my 93rd birthday and I pray that I will be able to attend the inauguration of this important project.
Holocaust Education Trust Executive Director Karen Pollock CBE said:
Following today’s announcement, we hope this important bill passes Parliament in time for the Memorial to be completed in time for survivors to see it.
—————————————————-
Source link