Hansard

I welcome this debate on Historic Scotland and its joint working with local authorities, because we should discuss its role in administering Scotland's historic sites and making the country's history relevant to today's society. The debate is certainly relevant, given the concerns that have been expressed in the chamber about the organisation. Indeed, at last week's general question time, Alex Neil raised his own strong concerns with the minister.

However, I will be positive about Historic Scotland and draw the chamber's attention to its work with South Lanarkshire Council on the refurbishment of Rutherglen town hall. Indeed, that project highlights the positive aspects of the Labour amendment and shows how Historic Scotland can work with local councils.

Rutherglen has a strong history; in fact, it was granted royal burgh status in 1126. The town hall, which was built in 1861, originally had not only a council chamber and public hall but a courthouse and a jail. However, I should point out that the jail is no longer part of the building, just in case the Cabinet Secretary for Justice is thinking of using it to tackle overcrowding in prisons.

One of the town hall's most impressive features is its 110ft clock tower, which stands in both old and more recent photographs of Main Street as a strong symbol of continuity and community. Sadly, in the 1980s, the town hall fell into disrepair and became unfit for public use. However, in the late 1990s, South Lanarkshire Council took up the cudgels and began a refurbishment programme that led in 2007 to the building reopening. Historic Scotland contributed £500,000 to the programme, which stands as a model of how historic buildings in a modern Scotland should be renovated

Rutherglen town hall is now very much used as a community base. Indeed, since becoming MSP for the area, I have attended a fair number of community meetings there. Disabled access has been much improved and lifts ensure that all the facilities on every floor, including the very excellent cafe, are open and accessible to all sectors of the community.

The building's original stone facades were retained, which required a lot of skill from stonemasons. The need for such skills shows the relevance of apprenticeships—and the modern apprenticeships scheme—in Scotland, which is an issue that Labour has been pushing not only this afternoon but in its overall political agenda.

As for joint working with councils, the minister mentioned the introduction of key performance targets for planning. I should point out that South Lanarkshire Council was given an award for the way in which it planned this refurbishment, and its work should be praised.

As an MSP who represents an urban seat, it is important for me to point out that there are many historic sites in urban constituencies. Such sites are not exclusive to rural constituencies or to constituencies in the Highlands, to which people often look when they think of Scotland's history. Quite a lot of archaeological work is being done along the route of the new M74, for example, and the digging up of the site of the Caledonian pottery mill in Rutherglen has got many local schools involved and has reignited an interest in Rutherglen's history. The television series "Time Team" has shown all of us how interesting such exercises can be. There is strong evidence of that in my local community.

As regards the debate's political implications, we want a Historic Scotland that is strong, open and relevant, which works closely with local authorities and which listens to and has a strong base in communities. If those aspects are taken into account, we can ensure that Scotland's history has a role to play in shaping the country's future.