Hansard

Those were some of the suggestions, along with others, that Mr Sweeney made. Yes, I do think that the petition opens up issues about which I knew very little, I have to say. Despite being born, raised and someone who has lived in and around the city of Glasgow—through which the Clyde is the dominant feature—all my life, I have not really given any recent thought to the issues that are raised in the petition or, indeed, to the issues that Paul Sweeney has discussed in some detail. From time to time over the decades, I have wondered about the lack of any transformation. I used to come home from school when there were still wharf buildings all the way into the city centre along the Clyde and things were happening in them. They were all done away with, and then we had river taxis for all of five minutes, which did not amount to very much. After that, I seem to remember a seaplane would fly to Oban from somewhere along the river. Compared to other major cities that you visit where the river is still a teeming lifeline through the city, the Clyde sits rather dormant and apart from city life. Some of the issues that the petitioner and Mr Sweeney raise might underpin some of the lethargy that is associated with all that. I am very happy to take forward all those issues at this stage. Obviously, we will consider the petition further and decide what we might want to do when we get the various responses. Are members content with that approach? Members indicated agreement.