Hansard

I, too, congratulate Stuart McMillan on securing the debate—and for playing the pipes. I admit that I am not a piper myself, but I have a personal interest in the debate, as both my husband and my son play.

There is a great deal of uncertainty about the origin of the bagpipes. I have looked into it, and it seems that they have existed in one form or another for as long as records have existed. In Scotland, they are thought to date back to about 100 AD. Over the centuries, they have inspired Scottish warriors and terrified their enemies.

After Culloden, the pipes were outlawed and much of the music was lost, because the tunes were not written down. The ban was lifted in the 1800s. Although they are not unique to Scotland, bagpipes are now synonymous with our country and our culture. The Scottish bagpipes are unique, however, in having three drones and for being used for military music by Scottish regiments.

As Stuart McMillan outlined, the pipes are popular among people in occupations such as the police. As he said, Strathclyde Police's band is world renowned, and came fourth in the world championships in Glasgow this year. It has won on previous occasions. Stuart McMillan made an excellent case for supporting the band, so I take this opportunity to join him in his call for a rethink of the planned cuts. We can all understand how the pipe band seems like an easy place to make budget savings but, as Stuart did, I argue that what the band offers in publicity, profile and heritage—not only for Strathclyde Police but for all the Scottish forces—far outweighs the small cost.

I, too, lodged a motion about the world championships, and I attended the event at Glasgow green. I congratulate all the bands that participated in that excellent event. The lord provost, Bob Winter, remarked that Glasgow was proud to be hosting the event once again, and that it has become a cultural highlight of the council's calendar. It was particularly significant this year, as Glasgow became a UNESCO city of music—under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization—and the championships were tied in with that. I have one small suggestion about the venue of Glasgow Green, which is that more random seating placed throughout the park would improve the experience for some visitors.

The highlight of my day was cheering for North Lanarkshire schools pipe band which, just five years after its formation, finished second in the novice juvenile section of the world championships. That talented group of young high school musicians faced off competition from 22 other bands across two heats, and were just pipped at the post by George Watson's College. I have to admit that my son Vann is a piper in the band, but he was not quite at competition level on the day of the world championships, so he was not in the competition. However, he did play in the final Highland games of the season at Pitlochry, where the North Lanarkshire schools pipe band came first.

I come back to a point that Jamie McGrigor made about school bands. The North Lanarkshire schools pipe band was formed in partnership with the world-renowned House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead pipe band and its pipe major, Robert Mathieson. The band rehearses on Wednesdays and Fridays at Coatbridge high school. Band members wear their own Spirit of North Lanarkshire tartan and they get personal tuition bi-weekly from Pipe Major Ross Cowan and support from the head of instrumental teaching, Jim Park. Councillor Jim McCabe, who is the leader of North Lanarkshire Council, also takes a personal interest in the band. He is proud of their achievements and was responsible for the establishment of the band. He ensures that funding is available for the kind of tutoring that Jamie McGrigor mentioned.

However, my son and other young people in Monklands might not have developed an interest in piping in the first place if it were not for the Airdrie Bagpipe Learning Centre in my colleague Karen Whitefield's constituency. It was set up by Pipe Major Jim Maitland, who is in his late 70s and teaches the pipes for no personal monetary gain but for the love of piping. Unfortunately, it has proved to be impossible to access any assistance to support the learning centre. Funding for it would help to buy much-needed equipment for youngsters who do not have the resources to buy it.

I want to use the debate not only to support Stuart McMillan's position on Strathclyde Police pipe band, which is at the top level of piping, but to make a plea for supporting investment in grass-roots piping organisations such as Airdrie Bagpipe Learning Centre, because they feed in to the upper echelons. These volunteer organisations help youngsters in working-class areas, such as my constituency, to gain a love of the pipes from an early age, and give older learners a similar opportunity. I commend those organisations: they should be supported. I again congratulate Stuart McMillan on securing the debate and I hope that it makes a difference to the future success of Strathclyde Police pipe band.