Motion ref. S5M-23760 Submitted by: Clare Adamson, Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, December 21, 2020

Iona Fyfe's Campaign for Scots Language on Spotify

Supported by: Colin Beattie, Peter Chapman, Bruce Crawford, Annabelle Ewing, John Finnie, Bill Kidd, Richard Lyle, Fulton MacGregor, Rona Mackay, Ruth Maguire, Gillian Martin, John Mason, Joan McAlpine, Mark McDonald, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Stewart Stevenson, David Torrance, Maureen Watt, Sandra White

That the Parliament commends a new campaign to have the Scots language included as a listed language on the Spotify music streaming platform; understands that the campaign, led by the award-winning Scots folksinger, Iona Fyfe, seeks to redress the imbalance its absence creates for the many talented Scots musicians and 1.5 million Scots language speakers; notes that Spotify already hosts Scots songs on its platform but that artists are unable to categorise these songs in the correct language; believes that the Scots language should be celebrated for its distinct cultural impact in Scotland and that its absence from a major streaming platform belies its wider importance to the folk music movement; acknowledges that Scots is recognised under the European Charter for Minority Languages, ISO 639-2 language code (SCO); welcomes Spotify’s commitment to examine the issue in response to Iona’s campaign, and hopes to see the language being given due recognition in the near future.

Motion ref. S5M-23146 Submitted by: Emma Harper, South Scotland, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Virtual Scots Language Awards 2020

Supported by: Clare Adamson, Tom Arthur, Willie Coffey, Annabelle Ewing, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Richard Lyle, Fulton MacGregor, Ruth Maguire, Gillian Martin, Joan McAlpine, Mark McDonald, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Stewart Stevenson, David Torrance, Maureen Watt, Sandra White

That the Parliament notes that the annual Scots Language Awards 2020 took place as an online event on 24 October; understands that the awards celebrated the talent of artists, comedians, singers, writers and poets across Scotland who work to promote, preserve and normalise one of Scotland’s three languages, Scots; congratulates all those who participated in the awards ceremony, including Scots Scriever and broadcaster, Alistair Heather, who hosted the ceremony, event founder, Simon Thoumire, event sponsor, Hands Up for Trad, the SQA, Creative Scotland, the National Lottery and all performers and artists; congratulates all 12 award recipients on their outstanding work in their respective categories, which included Scots Writer o the Year, Stuart Paterson, Scots Media Person o the Year, Paul McNichol and Ronny Costello, Scots Bairns Book o the Year, The Itchy Coo, Scots Speaker o the Year, Janey Godley, famous for her "Frank Get the Door" line of 2020, Young Scots Writer o the Year, Ciara Dillon, Scots Teacher o The Year, Claire Kerr, Schuil o the Year, Banff Academy, Project o the Year, Wee Windaes, Business o the Year, The Wee Book Company, Traditional Performer o The Year, Iona Fyfe, Lifelong Achievement Award, Jack Stuart, and the Janet Paisley Services to Scots Award, James Robertson; wishes all participants, sponsors and organisers every success for the future, and thanks all involved for their work in promoting the Scots language.

Motion ref. S5M-20466 Submitted by: Emma Harper, South Scotland, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Nip Nebs and the Last Berry

Supported by: Clare Adamson, Alasdair Allan, Tom Arthur, Willie Coffey, Kenneth Gibson, Jenny Gilruth, Bill Kidd, Richard Lyle, Fulton MacGregor, Ruth Maguire, Gillian Martin, Joan McAlpine, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Stewart Stevenson, David Torrance, Maureen Watt, Sandra White

That the Parliament congratulates the Dumfries and Galloway author, Susi Briggs, and illustrator, Ruthie Redden, on the recent launch of the book, Nip Nebs and the Last Berry; notes that the launch follows Susi and Ruthie’s success with Nip Nebs, a story written in the Scots language about Jack Frost; notes that Susi has a focus on the Scots language and has been invited to many schools, educational events and conferences to speak about it and its cultural importance to the people of Scotland; congratulates Susi on previously being shortlisted in the Books for Bairns section at the first-ever Scots Language Awards, which were held in 2019 at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow; encourages teachers and schools across Scotland to make use of Susi’s, and other Scots language, work, and wishes Susi and Ruthie all the best for the future.

Motion ref. S5M-20403 Submitted by: Joan McAlpine, South Scotland, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, January 13, 2020

Robert Burns in the Scottish Economy

Supported by: Clare Adamson, Alasdair Allan, Tom Arthur, Finlay Carson, Willie Coffey, James Dornan, Annabelle Ewing, Neil Findlay, Murdo Fraser, Kenneth Gibson, Jenny Gilruth, Emma Harper, Bill Kidd, Richard Lyle, Angus MacDonald, Fulton MacGregor, Ruth Maguire, John Mason, Mark McDonald, Stuart McMillan, Oliver Mundell, Alex Neil, Gil Paterson, Alex Rowley, Colin Smyth, Stewart Stevenson, David Torrance, Maureen Watt, Sandra White
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, January 21, 2020

That the Parliament welcomes the publication of the findings of the year-long research study by University of Glasgow, Robert Burns in the Scottish Economy, which has been led by Professor Murray Pittock of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies; notes that it found that Burns generates over £200 million a year for the economy and that his brand is worth nearly £140 million; believes that this news is timely, coming just ahead of the annual birthday celebrations for the Bard on 25 January 2020, when people recognise what is considered to be his genius as a poet, his passion for Scots language and culture and his commitment to humanitarian values; understands that the research, which was funded by the Scottish Government’s Economic Development Directorate, is the most comprehensive such analysis to date and was commissioned after a parliamentary debate in January 2018 that discussed the economic potential of Burns; notes that the economic sectors reported to benefit from Burns include food and drink, retail, hospitality and tourism, while his international brand helps develop business and trade relationships, but acknowledges that the study argues that much more can be done and notes its recommendations, which include the need for further plans to promote Burns at home and abroad, recognition of the Robert Burns World Federation, supporting teaching about the Bard in schools, in light of the view that current pupils will be the next generation to sell him to the world, improving signage and infrastructure to enhance access to Burns’ sites across the South Scotland region, profiling his core appeal to visitors to Dumfries and Galloway and updating the approach for Ayrshire, encouraging regional economic partnerships, for the South of Scotland Enterprise Agency to work together with local government to improve data on Burns-motivated tourism, for greater alignment between food and drink and cultural tourism, improving the connectivity of Burns-related sites, using his potential to reinforce community wealth building, developing initiatives such as joint marketing and ticketing, embedding the story of Burns in the 2020 Year of Scotland's Coasts and Waters and the UNESCO biosphere and learning from Austria’s investment in Mozart-related cultural tourism; believes that there is no contradiction in valuing Burns as a great poet and using his legacy to support the economy, and considers that Burns, who it believes knew about the hardship of poverty, would welcome what it sees as such respectful initiatives to add to the prosperity of the people and places that he loved.