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Meeting of the Parliament 10 September 2013

10 Sep 2013 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Historic Environment Strategy

Hyslop, Fiona SNP Linlithgow Watch on SPTV

I hear what the member says—I think that she makes an extremely important point. A great deal of investment has to take place in the pre-1919 buildings. That is a key aspect that we are trying to support, particularly through skills and conservation training. The member is correct to identify that, although public sector investment and support are provided, the majority of historic buildings are in private hands. We must find better ways to ensure that we address impacts such as those of climate change. I will come on to those matters later in my speech.

As well as being a unique asset that is valuable in its own right, our historic environment generates wider social and economic benefits. For example, one in five of all school visits is to a historic site, while organisations such as Archaeology Scotland, Historic Scotland, the NTS and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland promote understanding to learners of all ages. Together, the NTS and Historic Scotland welcome around 200,000 learners each year through free educational visits to properties in care.

Returning to Sarah Boyack’s point, the care and maintenance of the historic environment is an important factor in the economic viability of Scotland’s construction industry, with an estimated £600 million spent on pre-1919 buildings each year. That investment and expenditure supports employment across Scotland and has been an important part in retaining a base, made up of a range of local businesses across the country, in the traditional skills required to repair and maintain the historic environment. We need to continue to ensure that that continues and thrives.

The historic environment also makes a vital contribution to our tourism industry. Evidence indicates that 16 million tourists visited historic environment attractions in 2011, representing more than one in three of recorded visits to all Scottish attractions. Our historic environment is a unique economic asset that contributes in excess of £2 billion to Scotland’s economy and supports in excess of 60,000 full-time equivalent employees.

Our built heritage also gives character and definition to many of our cities, towns and villages. For that reason, it is an important component in place-making and provides a basis on which to regenerate town centres or act as a guide for new development. Rather than seeing the historic environment as a constraint, our best new architecture draws inspiration from the past. The redevelopment of the national museum of Scotland has shown how successfully new and old can be brought together, and it has become Scotland’s most visited tourist attraction since reopening.

Our historic environment is facing considerable challenges. The current financial constraints—I am sure that we will hear more about that from Patricia Ferguson—cut across both the public and the private sectors, and they impact on all of us. We know that finances are tight. The impacts of climate change on the historic environment are also wide ranging and potentially devastating.

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Meeting of the Parliament 10 September 2013

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