To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government have taken to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2010; and if he will make a statement. (313933)

The Government fund the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, a registered charity, to co-ordinate a national event to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day every year. The Trust also supports and co-ordinates local events across England, Wales and Scotland.

This year was a significant milestone, representing the 65^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day was “The Legacy of Hope”—people learning from the past, to give hope for the future. Several hundred people, including many survivors, gathered at the national event in London, to listen to the testimonies of victims and survivors alike. Tens of thousands of people gathered at hundreds of local events drawing on the same theme.

I was also pleased to open a Topical Debate on the subject of Holocaust Memorial Day in the House on 28 January this year, in which many hon. and right hon. Members from all sides participated.