 The final item of business is members' business debate on motion 13890 in the name of Oliver Mundell on the cycle to circuits to mark the 30th anniversary of the Locker Bay disaster. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put and I would ask those members who wish to speak in the debate to press the request to speak buttons. I call on Oliver Mundell to open the debate. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Thirty years ago, on the shortest and darkest day, Pan Am flight 103 left Heathrow airport for New York. Shortly after crossing into Scottish air space and gaining clearance for the trip over the Atlantic, flight 103 exploded over the Locker Bay area, killing 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 on the ground. For many of the victims' families and those in the town who were caught up in the events and aftermath of 21 December 1988, there is before Locker Bay and there is after Locker Bay. Born almost a day to the year later, I, like an ever-growing number of people, have only ever known one Locker Bay. I could not be more proud of my association with the town. It may be full of characters, as some American visitors have pointed out, but better characters you would be hard pushed to find. Locker Bay, more than anything, has heart. A quiet determination to move forward and make the best of things. Friendly, open and welcoming, partly because it is and partly because it has had to be. The words penned about gentle Locker Bay in On Eagles Wings, written by the mother of one of the victims, are too painful to quote here today, but they are worth reading and reflecting upon. They capture the complicated relationship between the victims on the ground and those in the air. Everyone thinks that they know Locker Bay, but until you have stood in the high street and watched life go on as normal, almost as if nothing had happened, it is impossible to understand the achievement. It is by letting life go on that those who have sought to sow division and fear have not prevailed. However, it has not come without a cost. The scars are not far beneath the surface. Visually, Locker Bay is healed, but emotionally for many the subject is still raw. The same grit, determination and complexity can be found in America and beyond, where the families and institutions and individuals have kept in memory alive but also focused on the future. Indeed, for many on both sides of the Atlantic, perhaps the only universally positive thing to come from the disaster is the strong bonds and connections that have been formed. Arguably, the link between Locker Bay academy and Syracuse University in upstate New York embodies this best and is the most tangible link for many. In the aftermath of Pan Am 103, Syracuse University, as an institution, promised that it would not forget its students and pledged to honour its memory through learning and teaching, so that tragedies such as Pan Am 103 would not be repeated. The 35 remembrance scholars and two Locker Bay scholars who study at Syracuse every year are one of the ways that the university strives to fulfil their promise to remember all victims, including 35 of their own students. Through those scholarships, students are encouraged to exchange ideas and to educate themselves and others about the effect of terrorism. Thirty years on, the university has not only held true to that promise, it has opened the doors to the families and communities of all 270 victims, holding an annual remembrance week in October, and it has built up an extensive archive, helping to capture an important moment in our collective history. The success of those programmes cannot be denied and they have inspired and brought out the best in human nature. To paraphrase the words of a former student, the network of Locker Bay and Rembrans scholars have now gone on to become global advocates, educators, activists, Government officials, scientists, entrepreneurs and entertainers, all the while embodying the spirit of those lost on Pan Am 103. Of course, everyone involved with or touched by the events of 1988 wish that they were not involved, but together our communities have rediscovered the best in human nature, recognising that we are both unintended victims. That said, like many people living locally, I still want the past to say in the past. To remember yes, but at the same time for people and the town to have the chance to move forward. That remains my view, but through this project I have realised that there will be no closure. After 30 years, those events cannot be wished away. It is easy to think that there is nothing we can do or to try and sidestep the issues that I so nearly did when Colin Dorans first got in touch. However, in the midst of the Rembrans scholarship programme, there is some good advice for us all—look back and act forward. That for me is what the cycle to Syracuse is all about. In 1988 a journey began that was not completed. Thirty years on, the cycle to Syracuse intends to continue that journey. It aims to complete the 3,238 miles between Lockerbie and the university in Upstate New York, which lost 35 of its finest students. That is a memorial tour by the community in Lockerbie on behalf of the whole town to demonstrate our on-going support for the families and friends of all the victims of the Lockerbie bombing. In resuming this journey, we remember those who lost and those who were affected in the aftermath, the response of the townspeople and the thousands who came to help. However, it is not just about reflecting or dwelling on the past, it is about constructing a better future. The aim is to focus on the on-going relationship between Lockerbie and Syracuse University today, to celebrate the hundreds of bonds that have emerged and will endure forever. The symbolism of the journey is undeniable. Completing the journey, linking together our communities, creating new connections, turning words into action and sometimes the need just to go through the motions. Most importantly, it is an excuse to talk and reflect. Even the gift of the crook that was made by the Lockerbie men's shed from wood source from the Tundergarth area, where the nose cone of the plain fell, has deep meaning. For me, though, the most significant message has come from seeing more than 1,600 pupils from the Lockerbie academy catchment take part in this initiative, using pupil power to get the team across the Atlantic ocean. Their excitement at being involved alone makes the whole thing worthwhile. Even as primary civins, there are a number of young people already planning on becoming the Syracuse scholars of the future. There is, too, the possibility that they will benefit from the funds raised by local charity Soul Soup from the journey who plan to enhance mental health support at Lockerbie academy. Of course, at the heart of this project is an incredible team, and I am delighted that they can join us in the gallery. At the helm is organiser Colin, who was amongst the first police on the scene in 1988, as an 18-year-old rookie policeman. He had a vision and determination to turn that idea into reality and has a close connection to Syracuse, where his son was a Lockerbie scholar. Next up is Paul, a serving firefighter in the Lockerbie crew. Paul is the joker in the deck, and I am sure that his sense of humour will come in handy in the home street. Heavy, who joined mountain rescue workers scouring the hills in the aftermath of the disaster, shows that age is no barrier, and he is the local favourite to be first over the finishing line. Brian, who is the headteacher at Lockerbie academy and new to cycling, is certainly leading by example. He also represents the wider community and its successful changing of the guard at the school. David completes the team. Maybe it is his paramedic training, but he is the one who looks after everyone else, thoughtful and reflective. In my constituency office, we think of them a bit like a boy band. We have nicknamed them the mammals, short for middle-aged men in Lycra. I am presiding, if you look up to the gallery, you will see that that description is, of course, more generous to some members of the team than to others. In a few weeks' time, I look forward to performing my own role as one of the backing dancers and joining the chair of Lockerbie community council, Jan Andrews, on a tandem for the final miles into Syracuse. Although thousands of miles away, to me, that seemed more realistic than joining the Fecan Flyers and community riders on the 70 miles from Lockerbie to Edinburgh Castle. The joy here is that there really is something for everyone in this initiative, and the core team has a grateful community behind them, both at home and abroad. That is why, in conclusion, I simply want to say thank you and wish the team and all those involved in the cycle the best of luck. Before we move on to the open debate, can I ask those in the gallery to make that the last time that they cheer, hiss, boot or other rise? We now move to the open debate. Speeches of around four minutes, please. Joan McAlpine, followed by Finlay Carson. Can I start by congratulating Oliver Mundell for securing this very important debate? Can I also congratulate him on the timing of the debate? The 30th anniversary of the Lockerbie disaster is more than two months away, but by drawing Parliament's attention to the Cycle to Syracuse memorial tour now, more people will be able to follow the cyclists on their epic journey, and it gives plenty of time to donate to the just giving page that they have set up to support Soul Soup. The attack on Pan Am 1 flight 103 in 1988 was a terrible act of violence, the worst mass murder Scotland has ever experienced. 259 passengers and crew aboard the plane and 11 more people on the ground lost their lives in the most awful way and we must never forget that. I was privileged to attend the 25th anniversary commemoration in Lockerbie and meet some of the relatives of those murdered on the plane who had travelled across the world. What struck me when I spoke to them and Oliver Mundell has already alluded to this was the very special place that they had in their hearts for the town of Lockerbie and its people. Despite the shock and the scale of the disaster, the town's people showed so much humanity at the time, helping to recover the dead in their possessions and assisting the emergency services, opening their homes and their hearts to the families. That has continued, of course. Long after the wreckage was cleared away with the support of the people of Lockerbie, it continued to give the bereaved and special relationships that they have formed with those across the world, not least Syracuse University, which lost 35 young students. The Cycles and Initiative, which is typical of that Lockerbie spirit, completes the journey home, those young people from Syracuse never finished. It is a deeply appropriate response, I think, because it involves the four emergency services that dealt with the aftermath of the bombing in the most professional way that night. It is also very appropriate that it includes the headteacher of Lockerbie academy, a school that, as Oliver Mundell has said, has formed such a strong bond with Syracuse because of the scholars that it sends every year, a programme that has been in the past supported by both the Scottish and the UK Governments. Many pupils of the academy and the surrounding schools are, as Oliver Mundell has said, completing the journey virtually, which is marvellous. I would also like Oliver Mundell to pay tribute to the other community organisations that are supporting the cycle in different ways, including the Lockerbie men's shed and the Fechin flyers. It is also very fitting that they will be joined by local cyclists on the way to Edinburgh Castle and by numerous international friends as they complete the journey to New York State, making it both a local and a global commemoration. I am particularly pleased to see that the fundraising will benefit SoulSoup, a mental health charity for 12 to 15-year-olds in Dumfries and Galloway. I was privileged to attend the opening of SoulSoup a few years ago and have seen at first hand the invaluable support that it offers in a very friendly and informal environment, which is very much led by the young people themselves. It is a fantastic charity to be benefiting from that. Thirty years after the Lockerbie disaster, we are all far more aware of how adverse childhood experiences can affect the mental health of teenagers and young adults throughout their lives. I know from speaking to some local people who were children or teenagers at the time of the Lockerbie disaster that the trauma of the experiences at that time have left lasting scars. That is why I wanted to finish by mentioning another commemoration initiative proposed by some of those who were directly affected by the disaster when they were young and who contacted me earlier this week. Local environmental artist and curator John Hogarth and John Wallace, a filmmaker and former Syracuse scholar, both experienced the disaster that night. John is a child and John is a young art school student home for Christmas. They hoped to conduct and film a peace prayer walk at dawn on the morning of the commemoration. The proposed walk is at Burnsworth Hill, a very special and spiritual local landmark close to the place where the cockpit landed and with a 360-degree view of the landscape where so many souls came to rest. The proposed prayer walk would be interfaith and non-denominational, and walkers would carry flags from around the world to reflect the diversity of the people on the plane. The artists are in discussion with the Allenton world peace sanctuary near and free to discuss how best to organise any walk as sensitively as possible. I know that they are speaking to members of the local community as well. Although it is early days, I want to wish them well in their endeavours. In the meantime, I am delighted to express my support for Cycle to Circus Lockerbie memorial tour, which is already well underway and will involve so many people from Scotland and around the world between now and the 21st of December. I thank Oliver Mundell for bringing this important debate to the chamber this evening on a subject that I know is important to many of my colleagues and, of course, to many of my constituents. Each year, there are private events that take place in Dumfries and Galloway and across the USA to remember most of which we will be unaware of as we go about our daily lives. Thirty years on, for me, as someone who was living in Dumfries and Galloway the night of the 21st of December 1988, it will be a night that will always stay with me. I just turned 21 and I clearly remember the evening arriving in the King's Arms after an evening with the young farmers and we were met by the news that a plane had crashed in Lockerbie. We all thought that it was a joke and then the picture started to come through and the questions were asked, was it a low-flying military jet, as we often experienced, but it soon became apparent that it was much greater than that. I remember sitting up throughout the night with a good friend, Deein Lindsay, trying in vain to get through to his brother, who lived near Sherwood Crescent. All the telephone lines were down and that brought the horror home. It really was a disaster unfolding in front of our eyes and there were no mobile phones and I remember the tension of the lack of news coming through. We know now that it was not a military jet or a simple plane crash. It was Pan Am flight 103, a transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via London and New York, brought down by a terrorist bomb, killing all 259 on board at an 11 on the ground. It had a huge impact on the people right across from Frees and Galloway, with few families not touched by the event. Willie Johnstone, a BBC reporter with Radio Solway, who has just retired after 35 years, arrived on the scene only hours after the explosion. His contribution is still clear in my mind. As well as telling the news of what happened in the aftermath, he also had the voice that provided a vital information link between the authorities and the community. My cousin Gordon McKnight, who I know joined the police force just shortly before Colin did, was only four months in the job when he was stationed in the initial mortuary in the town hall, travelling 86 miles from Stranraer on a daily basis for a 16-hour shift, a hugely traumatic eye opener for a young cop who had only seen a few bodies before then. He became the area inspector for Lockerbie area and, 27 years after the events, the memories of those dark days are still very much there. The local police force, the smallest in Scotland, the local community, local authority, emergency services and support workers made a huge effort on the ground, which I know will never be forgotten by the families hit by this tragedy. Colin Dorans was on-site as a policeman 30 years ago. At that time, he was the youngest policeman in the whole of Scotland. As referred, Colin has taken the lead in the cycle to Syracuse. This is a community initiative instigated by the people in services in Lockerbie to remember all those who were lost and to honour the response of the community and emergency services and to show support for all those who suffered and the times that followed. To mark this 30th anniversary, four emergency service cyclists and the head teacher of Lockerbie academy will complete that journey that the 35 Syracuse students never completed. The challenge over 3,238 miles from here in Scotland and across in the United States will finish at Syracuse University. It will help funds to raise funds for soul soup, a charity based in the region doing excellent work for people with mental health problems. It is challenges and fundraising ideas such as those that are the positive legacy from such a horrendous event. It is about people coming together and helping those in the greatest need. I know where epitomises that spirit better than in Lockerbie and across in Fwcengalloway, yet again we have people going above and beyond to help other individuals. I would like to wish the cycling team the very best of success in their cycle ride and I would encourage everyone to get behind such a wonderful cause. As Oliver said, the motto goes forward Lockerbie. Christine Grahame, followed by Colin Smyth. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Let me declare an interest as a member of the Justice for McGrachie campaign. I congratulate Oliver Mundell on securing this debate and welcome his so-called Syracuse team to the gallery. It is important to recall that dreadful night nearly 30 years ago, with the death of so many, the young students who will be commemorated in that cycle journey with lives ending so tragically, but now the cycle is taking it to the destination they never reached. It also reminds us of, as has been said, the Lockerbie residents, 11 of whom also died that night, and the actions of the professionals who, through their sensitivity and kindness then and over the years, have created a bond across oceans with the families and friends of those who were killed that night. Lockerbie, like Aberfan and Dunblane before it, never wanted to be in the headlines as a graveyard for so many, yet it has dealt with that atrocity with grace and dignity. It should not have been Lockerbie, of course. The delay in Flight Pan Am 103 meant the bomb, which is probably timed to detonate over the sea without evidential trace, did so over acres of bleak winter Scottish countryside. Although I have nothing but admiration for the Lockerbie community, I feel that no line can be drawn under that night until the conviction of Abdul Basri al-Maghrahi is finally and fully tried on a last appeal. You will recall that a second appeal on a referral from the criminal cases review commission was abandoned by Maghrahi in my view to secure his transfer from Greenock to Libya to be with his family as he succumbed to terminal cancer, evidence to this day that has not been heard. I met him three times and at my last meeting with him he made it clear that it was not for himself but his family that he wished his name cleared. He did not want the name Maghrahi to forever be part of the Lockerbie atrocity. At this moment, a third application for review is in process with the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, lodged by his family. I have been told by it that it has passed stage 1. In other words, the commission has accepted his reasons for abandoning that second appeal. In other words, as he thought it would help secure release. It is now at stage 2. That is the substance of the grounds for a new appeal that is being considered. It hopes to report by the summer of 2019. In the meantime, the separate police-led sandwood inquiry into the actions of police, prosecutors and forensic officials at the time, which is investigating claims of attempts to revert the course of justice prior to the campsize trial, is yet to complete and be sent to the Crown Office. Started in 2014, the pronouncements of its imminent conclusion have been much postponed. While the SCCRC could conclude its findings without that report, there is no doubt in my mind that it will be difficult for the commission to fully conclude without it. Sandwood's slow progress to be kind gives concern because, 30 years on, that justice delayed is justice denied for the people of Lockerbie, the Syracuse students, every one of the 270 who died and their families and friends, and perhaps even the McRahey family. I call Colin Smyth, followed by Emma Harper. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I begin by declaring an interest as my wife is a teacher at Lockerbie academy. I also add my thanks to Oliver Mundell for his motion, which reflects on the tragic events of 30 years ago on 21 December 1988, when 259 passengers and crew, along with 11 residents of Lockerbie, lost their lives in the bombing of Pan Am 103. The motion rightly urges us to recognise the truly humbling response of the community and emergency services to that tragedy at the time and since. Like others who live in Dumfrieshire, I have met many of those people who did indeed respond at the time. My then neighbour, who was a nurse and who responded to the messages that flashed up on our TV screens on border TV that evening, asked all medical professionals to report to Dumfries and Galloway royal infirmary, but, given the finality of events, sadly, there were no survivors there for her to treat. The family friend, who was a council catering worker at the time, helped to feed hundreds and hundreds of rescue workers over many long days and long evenings. The local newspaper photographer, whose home overlooked Lockerbie and his photographs appeared with no personal gain to him on the front pages of newspapers across the world the following day. We could go on and on about the remarkable people at the sharp end of the response to the Lockerbie bombing from the community and emergency services, many of whom worked tirelessly for days on end trying to cope and helping others to cope with the magnitude of the destruction that they faced. It is right that we recognise them and the organisers of the Cycle to Syracuse are to be congratulated for doing just that as they embark on their 3,238 miles to Syracuse University, involving the community, in particular, hundreds of young people every step or should I say every pedal along the way. Remembering and paying appropriate tribute is what the people of Lockerbie have always done. When you visit the town itself, you will see that the peaceful memorials to those who lost their lives located in Sherwood Crescent, Rosebank Crescent and the Memorial Garden and Drive Stale Cemetery. In 2003, the former caretaker house at the entrance to the cemetery was developed into a visitor centre by the community to provide a space for visitors to reflect but also for exhibitions to chart in the proud history of Lockerbie. Volunteers at the centre have played a quiet but important role in helping those who lost loved ones to grieve, find peace but also explore Lockerbie and the surrounding areas. In the town hall in the centre of Lockerbie, you will also see another memorial, the dramatic stained glass window that depicts the flags of the 21 countries who lost citizens in the bombing. However, it is not just about physical memorials. As we have already heard, the lasting legacy has formed through the Syracuse scholarship that was created between Lockerbie academy and Syracuse university who lost 35 of its students in the bombing. The scholarship allows two students every year from the academy to spend a year at Syracuse before they begin their university studies. In addition to the two Lockerbie scholars who this year are Joe Holland and Harriet Graham, there are also 35 remembrance scholars who study at Syracuse university every year. In 2003, the then rector of Lockerbie academy, Graham Herbert, was recognised at Syracuse university with the Chancellor's Medal for Outstanding Service and this year his successor, Brian Asher, will be one of the five who cycle from Lockerbie to Syracuse. Add in another fitting legacy by raising money to provide vital mental health counselling services for local young people. It is worth reflecting on the fact that the outward-looking international focus of the Towns academy and young people goes beyond those strong links that were fostered by the tragedy of 30 years ago. Next year, the academy will celebrate a decade of its strong partnership with the Thawallee primary school in the Melangea district of Malawi, which has included raising funds for the development of a Mary's meal feeding station at the school and the setting up of a scholarship programme to support a number of pupils at Thawallee through to secondary education. For 30 years, young people have also been at the heart of the development of the wonderful Estregg reserve on the edge of the town by the Lockerbie wildlife trust, led by former principal teacher of biology at the academy, Jim Ray, who for two decades taught students biology at the reserve. Lockerbie is also famous internationally for its love of culling as a home of one of Scotland's oldest culling ranks, giving rise to world and European champions and Olympians of all ages. I make those points because, although it is so important to reflect on the tragic loss of the Maid of the Seas over Lockerbie in 1988, which will of course always be part of the town's story, we should also recognise that, 30 years on, there is so much that is positive to reflect on about the town of Lockerbie, which is a vibrant, proud and forward-looking community. In the meantime, I wish all those involved in the cycle to Syracuse all the best and good luck. The last of the open debate contributions is from Emma Harper. Thank you, Presiding Officer. First of all, I would like to congratulate Oliver Mundell for bringing forward this motion this evening, the cycle to Syracuse, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Lockerbie disaster. I cannot believe that its 30th year anniversary, since Pan Am Flight 103 crashed on the town of Lockerbie and in the surrounding fields on December 21, just before Christmas in 1988. Oliver Mundell's motion and indeed his speech shows that, while we remember and reflect, we can still look forward. I would like to acknowledge the cycle charity ride by the team, the Lockerbie Memorial Tour, 2018, from Lockerbie to Syracuse, which includes members of Echelffecan-based cycling club, the Fecan Flyers. It is worth noting that many children will perform the virtual cycle ride, as Oliver Mundell and Joan McAlpine have mentioned. That is testament to the resilience that occurs following adversity. Oliver's motion mentions the police, ambulance, fire service and mountain rescue that were all involved. I commend all the emergency services personnel for current work and previously who took part on that night and in the subsequent hours, days and weeks following the UK's worst terrorist air disaster. That was an extremely tough time for many. Last year, I heard particular detail from one of the fire and rescue service personnel who attended that night and on the following days, as he chose to share his very personal, often quite emotional, recollection with me. While reflecting on the event myself, I thought about tragedies and disasters that occur across the world and we often hear where people state exactly where they were when they heard about a particular event, the exact moment. That had me thinking this weekend a lot in fact about where I was 30 years ago at the time of this disaster. A couple of points that I have been reflecting on was that one was from a dairy farmer and one was from me the nurse. The dairyman was my dad. He said that he was checking a coo out in the field that was about to have a calf out in the front field and he heard what he described as a boom or a low sound described as maybe an explosion. Our family home is actually quite a few miles from Tundra, Gareth and Lockerby. It is about almost eight miles, but could my dad actually have heard the bomb go off from eight miles away? Just after 7.30 p.m. on that night, I received a phone call from my flat from the operating theatre manager. I was walking distance to the Royal Infirmary. We needed to come in, the manager said. There has been a major trauma, a disaster. The hospital disaster plan has been activated. We do not know what is going on yet, but it may be a plane crash, it may be military. My role was to help set up the operating rooms, theatre 1 for trauma, theatre 2 for trauma, theatre 3 for orthopedic trauma, theatre 4 for minor injuries and suturing cuts and wounds. We were told to prepare and expect many trauma patients and cases. We set up, we got the rooms ready, we waited and waited. The trauma did not come. Hundreds were dead. Later we heard that 270 people lost their lives that night. That experience of preparation was calm, organised and methodical. It helped me years later when the massive Northridge earthquake happened in 1994. I, as a young new migrant to the USA, was able to work with professionals from perhaps 21 countries, which is similar to the 21 countries where people lost their lives. I was able to work with professionals to care for the victims of that disaster. A comment about the Shepard's Crook, which will make its way to the Remembrance Service at Syracuse University by members of the core cycling team marking the 2018 Remembrance Week. I love the fact that wood sourced from tundra garth has been made into the Shepard's Crook by members of Lockerbie's Men's Shed. The bike ride, the Shepard's Crook, is so symbolic and so human and so important. I recognise and acknowledge the role that Syracuse University plays in providing a focal point for many families who were affected, maintaining an archive and continued fostering of links with the town of Lockerbie and the Lockerbie academy, which has been mentioned. I look back and act forward. The motto of the scholarship remembrance programme is fantastic. The town's motto, forward looking, has been mentioned by others as well. Those are apt terms for us to think about after 30 years. Finally, once again, I thank Oliver Mundell for bringing this important debate to chamber today and again I echo his words. I call Ash Denham to respond to the debate. I would like to add my thanks also to Oliver Mundell for securing this debate and for what was a very moving speech on his part, I thought, and to wish you well with your tandem ride when it approaches. Also, for providing Parliament the opportunity this evening to pass on our best wishes to those who will be taking part in the Lockerbie memorial tour later this month. I would also like to add my voice as well to welcoming the team to the gallery this evening. It has been a very good debate this evening, a very thoughtful debate with thoughtful contributions from all the members across the chamber, so I thank them all for taking part in this evening. As we have heard, this event is marking the 30th anniversary of the bombing of Pan Am flight 103, which remains the worst terrorist attack ever perpetrated in Scotland. 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 people on the ground were murdered on 21 December 1988. It is important that we do not forget the pain and suffering of the families and friends of those who died that night. Presiding officer, the town of Lockerbie will never forget what happened that faithful evening. The memorial, the remembrance garden, the stained glass windows at the town hall stand as a tribute to those who were killed in this incomprehensible atrocity. Throughout what was a hugely complicated and traumatic investigation and trial, the families and friends of those who died carried themselves with great resilience and also great dignity. People from across the world were affected by this tragedy. The passenger list included people from 21 different countries, and as our 30th anniversary approaches, our thoughts are with them also. Many of those who were on board were heading back to the United States to celebrate Christmas with their families, and members will be aware that the Lockerbie bombing claimed the lives of 35 students from Syracuse University as we have heard this evening. That is 35 young lives who were cut short in their prime. Out of this horrific tragedy has come an outward facing spirit of friendship and companionship by the people of Lockerbie. The six volunteers that are taking part in the US leg of the cycle challenge will ride from the Lockerbie care in Arlington National Cemetery to Syracuse University and arrive in time to join the university's annual remembrance ceremony. That reflects the close links that have been formed between the town of Lockerbie and Syracuse University and continue to this day. In the aftermath of the Lockerbie bombing, the Lockerbie Syracuse Trust was established, and each year it gives two students from Lockerbie academy the opportunity to attend Syracuse University for one academic year. Syracuse University and the Lockerbie Syracuse Scholarship Trust meet the costs of their attendance jointly. Since it was established in 1990, 58 students from Lockerbie academy have spent a year at Syracuse University giving those students an opportunity to extend their academic education, experience what life is like in another country and to develop their self-confidence and independence. All of the things that those 35 Syracuse students had been doing before their lives were taken on that fateful night. The motto of Syracuse Remembrance week is, think back, act forward, as we have heard this evening. The Lockerbie memorial challenge is acting forward by raising money to help young people closer to home. The money raise will go to support SoulSoup, a mental health charity based in the Dumfries and Galloway area. Statistics published recently in the Scottish health survey found that 21 per cent of young people aged 16 to 24 reported that they had self-harmed. That only highlights the importance of providing support to young people who are experiencing mental health difficulties. SoulSoup works in the Dumfries area to provide free counselling and support to young people in the region who may be in need of help, who might need somebody to talk to, who might need to be referred to a specialist counselling or treatment service or who might need advice and guidance as they navigate their way through the stresses and strains of growing up. The aim of the challenge is to provide sufficient funding to help place a dedicated SoulSoup worker at Lockerbie academy to serve the school and the youth of the local Lockerbie community. I would also like to highlight the contribution that is being made by the school children who are helping to meet the challenge of cycling the total distance of 3,238 miles between Lockerbie and Syracuse. Of course, you cannot cycle across the Atlantic Ocean, so the first part of the challenge has involved children from 12 local schools on their own bikes or on exercise bikes at schools. They are seeking to complete the 2,568-mile combined cycle at events that began in September and will conclude with an event at Lockerbie academy on 10 October. I wish the best of luck to all those who are participating in the Lockerbie memorial tour. On 13 October, the team will set off from Lockerbie academy to ride to Edinburgh castle, accompanied by other cyclists from Lockerbie and members of the Echo Feckin base cycle club, the Feckin Flyers. When they reach the castle, there will be a reception to welcome them and others who have helped in organising the event in which the Cabinet Secretary for Justice will also be attending. I hope that the weather holds good for them on that day and that they have a southerly wind to help them on their way up to the castle, because that could be quite a difficult part. In the spirit that has been formed from adversity and those taking part are truly thinking back, acting forward in a very inspiring manner. That concludes the debate and this meeting is closed.