Hansard

I congratulate Stuart McMillan on securing the debate on a motion that I was pleased to sign when he lodged it in August.

I, too, congratulate the Simon Fraser University pipe band from Vancouver on winning this year's world pipe band championships and the Strathclyde Police pipe band on being the highest-placed home band. I pay tribute to the organisers of that major event, which has become an important part of our tourism events in Scotland and injects a significant amount of money into Glasgow and the wider Scottish economy.

I hope that my Scottish Register of Tartans Bill ensured that Scotland is regarded as the centre of tartan. As we have heard, piping is also an intrinsic and emotive part of Scotland's heritage. It is right that we host the world championships and do all that we can to encourage piping here and abroad.

There are a number of first-class pipe bands in my region, including Kirkwall City pipe band, Thurso pipe band, Wick pipe band, Mull and Iona pipe band, Campbeltown pipe band and, of course, the Oban pipe band, which is led by Angus MacColl, who is himself a world champion.

In 2007, I lodged a motion—not dissimilar to Stuart McMillan's—that commended the success of the Inveraray and District pipe band from my native Argyll and Bute. Despite being reformed only in 2005 after a break of 70 years, the band has achieved amazing success under the leadership of renowned soloist piper and pipe major Stuart Liddell—whose grandfather was the famous Ronnie McCallum, the piper to the Argylls—and the excellent band manager, who is also the bank manager, Jim McMillan.

I cannot praise enough Stuart Liddell, Jim McMillan, Robert Stewart, Dougie Campbell, Steve McWhirter, Kate Paton and all the other organisers and members of the band. Within two years, competing at novice juvenile level, the band had won four major championships and become world champion and champions of champions. In 2008, competing at juvenile grade, it repeated that outstanding success. This season, the band, which is currently competing at grade 2, has won all five major championships: the Scottish championships at Dumbarton, the British championships at Banbridge, the European championships at Greenock, the Cowal championships at Dunoon and the world championships in Glasgow. The overall winner of those world championships is commended in the motion that we are debating.

Inveraray and District pipe band has religiously backed the Strathclyde Police pipe band in everything it has done—and I think everybody else should, too. I wish Inveraray pipe band every success at grade 1—it will be at that level next year—and I am sure that it will once again reap a large harvest of competition successes. It is good to know that the junior pipe band is following in its footsteps: the junior band also did well, at the first attempt, in the European and world championships this year. It is run by Robert Stewart, who I have already mentioned.

Robert Stewart, Stuart Liddell and others give piping and drumming lessons in Inveraray primary school. The students are asked to contribute £2.50 per session, which is hardly a large amount for half an hour's one-to-one teaching by top pipers and drummers. The money goes towards equipment and clothing. The results of that tuition have been quite stupendous. I ask the minister to study Inveraray's example and to contemplate what might happen if there were such regular teaching of piping and drumming at more schools.

The success of Inveraray and District pipe band has given a huge lift to the area. The band was cheered all the way through the streets of Inveraray; it gives people pride and a sense of elation—especially at this time of credit crunch and financial doldrums. The effect of success on the youngsters at other local primary schools such as Dalmally has been that they have thrown away their Game Boys to take up the pipes and drums so that they, too, will be able to march with pride and discipline and play the rousing music that is so much a tradition of the Highlands, and indeed all Scotland.

Incidentally, Inveraray won shinty's Macaulay cup, so it has been a very good year for them.

The motion refers to

"planned cuts to Strathclyde Police Pipe Band".

I recognise the strongly felt concerns of members and supporters of that band. We all recognise the pressure on police board expenditure, but I hope that the leadership of Strathclyde Police will take note of what is said in the chamber today and do all in its power to ensure that the excellence that has been built up in one of the oldest and most prestigious pipe bands in the world is preserved for future generations.