Scottish Parliament committee backs our campaign!

The following is the full report of the latest Scottish Parliament Petitions Committee meeting to discuss our Petition for a Leith museum - as you can see, the general response was enthusiastic!

Local Museums (PE1083)
The Convener: PE1083, by John Arthur, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to support the creation of local museums, such as the proposed Leith museum. I welcome Malcolm Chisholm, who is the member of the Scottish Parliament covering the historic place of Leith, in the heart of Edinburghers and all that kind of stuff. Malcolm may wish to speak on behalf of the petition.
Malcolm Chisholm: I will speak briefly, as I spoke when the committee previously discussed the petition. I hope, convener, that you will be as generous to me as you were to our colleague a minute ago.
The Convener: It is that time of the afternoon, Malcolm.
Malcolm Chisholm: As committee members know from their papers, since I was last at the committee there has been a response to its consultation. It would be fair to say that it indicates considerable support for the idea of a Leith museum. The case may also have been reinforced by the Scottish Government's recent emphasis on the teaching of Scottish history. I will not go through all the submissions, but I point out that the Scottish Museums Council, which is a key body in the sector, supports the principle. I also refer members to the City of Edinburgh Council's submission, which sums up the case succinctly. It says:
"The importance of Leith and its role in Scottish history deserves to be told in a dedicated museum. Such a museum could provide a community focus for understanding its past, making sense of the present and help build social cohesion in what is a rapidly changing community. It is also the Council's view that a new Museum of Leith could support tourist and economic development."
There are many reasons for supporting such a museum. The council also states:
"Leith Customs House ... remains the most appropriate venue for a museum of Leith."
That is also the overwhelming view of the community, I think. The focus of the Leith museum group, which has been campaigning for the museum, is now on the customs house, which is owned by National Museums Scotland and used for storage. The group has discussed the customs
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house with NMS, which wishes to dispose of the building because it needs additional or bigger storage facilities.
The Leith museum group's submission to the committee says:
"We would hope that the Petitions Committee would recommend to the relevant Minister",
that is, the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture,
"that the National Museums be encouraged to enter into a positive dialogue"
—it might now be fairer to say "continue a positive dialogue"—
"with our group to allow us to develop and bring forward a proposal for a Leith Museum Trust to acquire Leith Customs House as a home for a future museum of Leith."
That highlights the connection between the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture and National Museums Scotland, for which she has responsibility.
The Convener: As a former Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, I am not unattracted to the proposed development. People should keep beavering away at the issue. There is the potential for a very good museum that would make a real difference. People need to be pulled together, and the committee's role should be to encourage momentum. If NMS has a building, we should raise that point with the minister, so that she can discuss the proposal with the agency with responsibility for dealing with buildings that get used for other things. The Big Lottery Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and other organisations could be spoken to. We can chat about that. I imagine that you wish to voice your support, Robin.
Robin Harper: Yes. I declare an interest as a local MSP and a former teacher of history and modern studies. I am a strong supporter of the proposal, and I would like us to approach the Executive for a response and to ascertain what it can do to support the proposal.
The Convener: I have my own views on how best to do that, but I invite other views.
Robin Harper: We should also approach the City of Edinburgh Council.
The Convener: Absolutely.
Nanette Milne: It is an exciting project. I note from its response in relation to the waterfront visitor destination development plan that Scottish Enterprise is seeking consultation feedback pretty soon—next month, in fact. It might be interesting to hear what response it has had. Malcolm Chisholm will know more about this than I do, but I believe that Scottish Enterprise held discussions with local councils about the setting up of the
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waterfront project, and I presume that the Leith museum would legitimately form part of that. It would therefore be interesting to get a response from Scottish Enterprise.
The Convener: I suggest that it would be useful, if we are writing to the minister with responsibility for the matter, to ask what she can do by way of an audit or review of the existing buildings, so that a discussion can open up on that. We could ask the minister to consider setting up a working group of officials from the appropriate directorates and, more important, the national agencies, along with the city council. It might be worth getting information about resources and any applications that may be made to the various sources for funding, including Europe, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund. There is a real chance to create a dynamic that might result in something positive.
Robin Harper: The minister could be invited to respond on what further support and interest she is taking in the Scottish Museums Council, which I believe is on the point of relaunching itself under a different logo—museums galleries Scotland, if I am correct.
16:45
The Convener: So, on those recommendations, we are happy to continue to give that kind of tacit and encouraging support to the petition. We will raise the fundamental issues that Malcolm Chisholm and the petitioners raised with us with the relevant Government minister and departments, through correspondence and other communication. I hope that that is helpful.
I thank Malcolm Chisholm for his patience because he came in here at 2 o'clock and is still here are 4.45.