I, too, congratulate my colleague Joan McAlpine on securing the debate. She made a comprehensive and commendable speech. As an enthusiastic Burnsian and an immediate past president of the Dumfries ladies Burns club number 1, I am delighted to speak this evening.

We are eternally grateful to Robert Burns for his cultural legacy and his contribution to Scots language and poetry. However, we rarely speak about his lasting or potential economic impact in Scotland, which is realised mainly through the industries of tourism and food and drink—two very important sectors for Scotland’s rural economy.

I have been involved in Burns clubs for many years. I even attended Robert Burns celebrations when I lived in Los Angeles, so I am well aware of the international influence that Burns has. Even in LA, I was able to source my “Chieftain o’ the Puddin-race”—my Food and Drug Administration-approved haggis—from a butcher in Oregon whose last name was actually Lamb.

Burns night is an event that is marked by many. Similar events will take place on 25 January every year in some of the most far-flung corners of the globe, from Tanzania to Delhi and St Petersburg. Ahead of the debate, I was well chuffed to read a briefing by BEMIS that highlights the influence that Burns truly has on us all.

Across the world, there are more than 170 statues dedicated to Robert Burns, which is more than Christopher Columbus, Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens—another writer—have. Of those statues, 14 can be found in the USA. That is not surprising, as President Abraham Lincoln counted himself a fan of Robert Burns and Bob Dylan cited “A Red, Red Rose” as being one of his greatest creative inspirations.

Many people have speculated about what exactly it is about the bard that makes his legacy so wide reaching and enduring. Whether it is his talent as a poet, his heartfelt politics or the universal humane themes of his writing, we are privileged that his work continues to benefit Scotland economically as well as culturally.

There is no question that visitors to Scotland come from across the world to visit attractions such as the Robert Burns birthplace museum, in the beautiful Ayrshire village of Alloway, and the cottage where he was born. While working at the farm at Ellisland, Robert Burns started frequenting what is now one of Scotland’s oldest hostelries—his favourite howff, the Globe inn on Dumfries High Street, which was established in 1610.

As Joan McAlpine highlighted, in Dumfries and Galloway, Burns night celebrations contribute significantly to the local economy. She mentioned the big Burns supper, which runs for 11 days across Dumfries and is now in its seventh year. The festival is intended as a winter gathering as well as a celebration of the meaning behind Burns night.

It is a deliberate attempt to encourage people out of their homes to socialise with each other during the dark January evenings.

In Dumfries, the economic impact of Burns season is evident and can be measured. When I chat to the local butchers, they tell me that they benefit from the spike in sales of haggis. In turn, Scottish farmers profit from the demand for authentic Scotch lamb.

The most recent comprehensive piece of research showed that Scottish tourism benefits from the birth of its most famous poet by £157 million each year. Those findings date from 2003 and it would be interesting to see updated figures.

Although we can measure how many haggises and Scottish tatties are purchased or how many kilts are hired, as Joan McAlpine mentioned, it is more difficult to quantify how Burns the brand has helped to establish Scotland’s reputation on the world stage as a place of culture and beauty that is synonymous with the bard’s values, which include egalitarianism, intellectualism and environmentalism. Fortunately, that does not prevent our appreciating the financial as well as the cultural rewards.

I welcome the support for a south-west tourist route, which John Scott described, and I am currently promoting and involved in that project. I welcome any support to get more tourists into the south-west of Scotland.

I pay tribute to the many sonsie-faced volunteers around Scotland who are instrumental to the success of Burns night. From my own experience in Dumfries and Galloway, the world of Burns would have a hard time existing and competing without the volunteers of the Dumfries and Galloway Burns association and the Robert Burns World Federation.

I again thank Joan McAlpine for securing today’s debate.