Chamber
Plenary, 07 Feb 2007
07 Feb 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Tartan
I will explain the initial steps by which we will seek to secure the consensus that John Swinney and I, and probably the whole chamber, wish to see. I tend to the view that if we in this Parliament do not stand up for and associate ourselves with the tartan brand, no one else is likely to do it as effectively. The most effective way of promoting tartan is to build the consensus that the member seeks. I will speak about that later.
In that context, I make particular mention of Jamie McGrigor's work and his member's bill, which proposes a national register of tartan. I know that Mr McGrigor has for several years engaged with key figures in the tartan industry to discuss a possible definitive, publicly run and maintained register of tartans. I know that those discussions have been lengthy and challenging. I am grateful to Jamie McGrigor for brokering a consensus on the need for a definitive register. If there is not a unanimous industry view on how best to achieve that—which was John Swinney's point—it is our objective to secure it.
Like Jamie McGrigor, I support fully the concept of working to promote and support the tartan industry in Scotland. In our response to his bill, the Scottish ministers recognised that the principle underlying the bill—of having a definitive, independent, authoritative and accessible register of tartans in Scotland—could have a beneficial economic effect, become a focus for and raise the profile of Scottish-based businesses with an interest in tartan, and help to promote Scotland more generally.
The existing registers are incomplete and are, in fact, dominated by sectoral interests, such as the weavers and the genealogy tourism sector. Members can correct me if I am wrong, but the proposal for a national register has pretty well united those previously disparate interests on the need for a register, if not on the detail of the form it should take.
At the moment, the design and production of tartan are wholly unregulated. While that situation would continue, introducing a national register in Scotland could boost interest in the Scottish tartan industry and bolster perceptions of authenticity and quality assurance with regard to Scottish-registered, designed and produced tartans. Indeed, the register could become a marketing tool to give Scottish businesses a distinct competitive edge over their competitors.
As a result, I propose to ask Scottish Enterprise's textiles team to assess the relative importance of the tartan industry in Scotland and to consider whether introducing a register will immediately benefit Scotland's tartan industry and help to promote the image of Scotland more generally.
In that context, I make particular mention of Jamie McGrigor's work and his member's bill, which proposes a national register of tartan. I know that Mr McGrigor has for several years engaged with key figures in the tartan industry to discuss a possible definitive, publicly run and maintained register of tartans. I know that those discussions have been lengthy and challenging. I am grateful to Jamie McGrigor for brokering a consensus on the need for a definitive register. If there is not a unanimous industry view on how best to achieve that—which was John Swinney's point—it is our objective to secure it.
Like Jamie McGrigor, I support fully the concept of working to promote and support the tartan industry in Scotland. In our response to his bill, the Scottish ministers recognised that the principle underlying the bill—of having a definitive, independent, authoritative and accessible register of tartans in Scotland—could have a beneficial economic effect, become a focus for and raise the profile of Scottish-based businesses with an interest in tartan, and help to promote Scotland more generally.
The existing registers are incomplete and are, in fact, dominated by sectoral interests, such as the weavers and the genealogy tourism sector. Members can correct me if I am wrong, but the proposal for a national register has pretty well united those previously disparate interests on the need for a register, if not on the detail of the form it should take.
At the moment, the design and production of tartan are wholly unregulated. While that situation would continue, introducing a national register in Scotland could boost interest in the Scottish tartan industry and bolster perceptions of authenticity and quality assurance with regard to Scottish-registered, designed and produced tartans. Indeed, the register could become a marketing tool to give Scottish businesses a distinct competitive edge over their competitors.
As a result, I propose to ask Scottish Enterprise's textiles team to assess the relative importance of the tartan industry in Scotland and to consider whether introducing a register will immediately benefit Scotland's tartan industry and help to promote the image of Scotland more generally.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on the promotion of tartan and Scotland's tartan industry.
The Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (Allan Wilson):
Lab
I welcome the opportunity that today's debate gives us to look at one of Scotland's most iconic and readily recognisable images—tartan. The subject evokes a ...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP):
SNP
How does the minister intend to build consensus around the objective that he just outlined—which I support fully—to ensure that some practical action comes o...
Allan Wilson:
Lab
I will explain the initial steps by which we will seek to secure the consensus that John Swinney and I, and probably the whole chamber, wish to see. I tend t...
Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD):
LD
I might have misheard the minister, but I believe that he said that the situation with tartan is wholly unregulated. However, the Scottish Tartans Authority ...
Allan Wilson:
Lab
The member is correct. It has been suggested that there is little time for this debate, but it seems to have stimulated the kind of discussion that I hoped i...
Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP):
SNP
I give the warmest possible welcome to the minister's words and, indeed, welcome this opportunity to reinforce tartan's iconic importance.Scotland, of course...
Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind):
Ind
With reference to the learned professor's claim that 98 per cent of the world's population has some idea of what Scotland means, do we have any notion of how...
Jim Mather:
SNP
Professor Michael Porter's reputation suggests that a somewhat more systematic approach would have been taken. Certainly, his work has passed muster—I believ...
Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD):
LD
Alex Salmond. Laughter.
Jim Mather:
SNP
If we are going to talk about the living dead, it might be Prime Minister's question time that features, Mr Stone. The book is all about the efficacy of trib...
Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
I congratulate Allan Wilson, the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, on securing the debate.I listened carefully to what the minister said....
Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD):
LD
I congratulate Jamie McGrigor on introducing the Scottish Register of Tartans Bill. I also congratulate members on their speeches, including Jim Mather. I ag...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
I wonder whether the member would like to take this opportunity to apologise on behalf of the Whig Government of the time for the act of proscription 1747.
Mr Stone:
LD
That is tempting.Tartan was proscribed north of the Highland line. If a person wore a greatcoat or jacket of tartan, they were subject either to six months' ...
Jeremy Purvis:
LD
It was George IV.
Mr Stone:
LD
That is absolutely correct. I stand corrected—I meant George IV.Sir Walter Scott persuaded George IV to come north to Edinburgh in 1822. It is well known tha...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
We come to the open debate. If we do not have too many digressions, every member who wants to speak will be able to do so.
Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab):
Lab
I am pleased to speak in the debate. I inform members of my interest in Scotland's tartan industry: my wife's family has been involved in kilt making for six...
John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP):
SSCUP
Does the member agree that, unless protection is built into the Scottish Register of Tartans Bill such that the only tartan that matters is that produced in ...
Mr Macintosh:
Lab
I admire John Swinburne's hopes, but unfortunately I do not think that what he suggests will be possible. We have to take an inclusive approach to tartan. I ...
Jeremy Purvis:
LD
I appreciate the member's arguments, but can he appreciate that part of the success of the modern tartan industry has been the lack of bureaucracy? We have a...
Mr Macintosh:
Lab
I appreciate Mr Purvis's concerns, just as I appreciated Mr Swinburne's concerns. However, I do not think that the register will take a judgmental approach a...
Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
As my colleague Jim Mather has stated, the Scottish National Party welcomes the Executive's proposals. We look forward to seeing what the Executive will outl...
Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind):
Ind
I congratulate the minister on changing his mind. I certainly remember the time when he and people of his age group denigrated tartan—I will come back to tha...
Christine May (Central Fife) (Lab):
Lab
The Scottish Register of Tartans Bill came before the Enterprise and Culture Committee, and I rise as a member of that committee to discuss how we reacted to...
Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD):
LD
With Lochcarron of Scotland, Andrew Elliot Ltd and Robert Noble in my constituency, I am extremely lucky to be the constituency representative of the finest ...
Margo MacDonald:
Ind
Will the member give way?
Jeremy Purvis:
LD
If I have time later on, I will give way.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh):
Con
You will not have time; you have one minute left.