Historical Places and Artefacts

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 5:31 pm on 9 November 2006.

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Photo of Tricia Marwick Tricia Marwick Scottish National Party 5:31, 9 November 2006

I welcome the visitors to the gallery and the people in Markinch who are viewing the debate on a webcam. I pay tribute to Christine May for bringing the debate to Parliament and for the eloquent way in which she spoke about her constituency. I have worked out that during this very short debate, we have been to Edinburgh, Orkney, the Cowal peninsula, Midlothian and Denmark. It is therefore quite appropriate that I bring the debate back to the glorious kingdom of Fife.

I want to pick up on a couple of issues such as the bronze age burial cist at Sillerhole. It is important that some of our artefacts be retained locally and that the National Museum of Scotland does not always get to cherry pick the best—after all, it is our heritage and it is important to make sure that as much as possible of it remains in the care of local people. That is why I support the Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland's recommendation that local authorities and other agencies should have a statutory duty to conserve and care for the historical environment.

We have seen cultural vandalism in Fife in the not-too-distant past. Christine May mentioned the henge at Balfarg, which was moved by the then Glenrothes Development Corporation to another site. That is cultural vandalism, in my view and in the view of others. If there had been a statutory duty on public bodies such as that corporation, that could not have happened.

I also want to mention the Wemyss caves, which are close to my heart and to the hearts of many in Fife. They contain some of the best ancient cave drawings, but are under threat from coastal erosion. We have already lost too much of the Wemyss caves. I know that it will cost a great deal of money to protect them, but I cannot believe that any other country in Europe would allow such a valuable piece of heritage to disappear completely. Some of the world's most fabulous caves, particularly those in France, have been preserved, so I do not believe that it is beyond our wit or will as politicians and individuals to find a way to preserve one of the most spectacular examples of our heritage and past. I urge the minister to say something about the Wemyss caves in her winding up speech. When she is finishing the debate, could she also address the points that Christine May made about how best to preserve our heritage for the future?

I acknowledge the work that Christine May has done, particularly on the Planning etc (Scotland) Bill. Although her amendments have been withdrawn, I know that she has had discussions with the minister and with others. I believe that we need some sort of resolution of the issue, so I hope the minister will say something about where those discussions are going.

I close by paying tribute to Christine May and to all those who have spoken in the debate, and I extend to Christine my warmest thanks for giving us the opportunity to discuss the matter.