 I will not be surprised at the questions on the meeting. The final item of business today is a member's business debate on motion number 10114, in the name of Roger Rigg Campbell on Scotland's secret bunker reopening. The debate will be concluded without any questions being put. I invite those members who wish to speak in the debate to please press the request-to-speak buttons. o'r ffordd, Mr Campbell. Seven minutes please. Thank you, Presiding Officer. If I may, I would like everybody to briefly imagine what the world would have been like had certain events in history taken a different turn. What if the Cuban Missile Crisis and specifically the boats of a Soviet Union that carried intercontinental ballistic missiles had taken a different turn in 1962? What if tensions between India and Pakistan had escalated further than any of us dare imagine? And what if the world, instead of peacefully retreating from the Cold War, had engaged in nuclear war? For years, we knew the world was prepared for nuclear war, but only since the end of the Cold War have we learned just how prepared we were. Whilst the British Government might have had the capacity to order a nuclear strike, it is only in recent decades that we have learned exactly how they would have operated in underground facilities such as Scotland's secret bunker at Troywood near Anstrother. In addition to Troywood, we now know that there were bunkers at Bunton Quarry near Edinburgh and at Coalty Bragan near Cymru. A vast number remain unknown or unopened to the public, making Scotland's secret bunker for the moment an unrival tourist attraction in Scotland. Situated 100 feet underground, the bunker hosts 24,000 square feet of accommodation that would have become home to members of the British Government, and specifically the Secretary of State and Minister of State for Scotland had the country been subjected to nuclear strikes. A three-ton blast door at the end of a 150-metre tunnel secluded underneath an ordinary-looking farmhouse in rural north-east Fife hosts what would have been the command centre and living quarters of what were considered essential personnel in Scotland. Included in the past, such people as Secretary of State's Arthur Woodburn, Willie Ross and more recently Malcolm Rifkind, in a room including no less than a substantial box of King Edward cigars. Other bunker inhabitants would have included up to 300 other personnel, including civil servants and members of the emergency services. With concrete up to three metres thick reinforced by inch-thick tunks and rods every 15 centimetres, there is a peculiar irony to watching public information messages inside the museum that inform people how to turn their homes into fallout shelters by using dining tables and sofa cushions if they couldn't access the more luxurious and sturdy options of sandbags and planks of wood. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of the bunker as a tourist attraction following an extensive refurbishment, which has included opening access to previously unseen areas of the bunker. James Mitchell, owner of the bunker, as well as the Barnton quarry nuclear bunker, recently said its reopening would, quote, help bring the bunker back to life for visitors, following investment in a series of information screens throughout the museum that will soon go live. He's also spoken of how the bunker shows just how recent and real the threat was and just how prepared we were. Initially serving as an early warning radar station to warn of an attack from the USSR, the R3-type bunker was built in 1951 and used by the RAF as a rotor station between 1953 and 1956. When that technology became redundant, the MOD mothballed the site for two years before the Civil Defence Corps moved in between 1956 and 1968. After the withdrawal of the core, the MOD established Troywood, as the bunker is known, as a regional government headquarters, before it was finally decommissioned in 1993. The bunker is therefore different from the Colty Bragan bunker, which was completed in 1990 specifically for the purpose of being a nuclear shelter. Obviously, the RAF, Civil Defence Corps and the Royal Observer Corps all occupied the bunker at one time or another at Troywood, and the ROC in particular had a long distinguished history. It was therefore with anger and disappointment that Air Commodore GM Body announced the standing down of the ROC in September 1991. I would share the comments made by James Mitchell in relation to the reality of the risk that once faced not just this country but the world. Having visited the bunker, it is remarkable to see just what preparations were in place and just how seriously the world took the concept of mutually assured destruction during the Cold War. As an example, a previously classified document from the Joint Intelligence Committee in 1967 is on display. It notes that in 5, Pitt-Reavy, Rossaith, RAF Lucas and Troywood were four potential targets for the USSR. The committee suggested that an attack on Troywood alone would require four one-megaton bombs, and to destroy all four targets would require 12 0.5 or one-megaton bombs, which would have been the equivalent of dropping 1,100 Hiroshima bombs. More frightening is the approximation that a one-megaton strike on Tornes power station would have rendered five from the Lothians uninhabitable for centuries. Interest in Scotland's secret bunker isn't the only bunker that has opened as a tourist attraction, and there are plans to open the Barnton quarry bunker in the near future. There are, of course, similar tourist destinations in England. Cultivragan, on the other hand, will remain used for data storage. Hosting tens of thousands of tourists every year, I'm delighted that Scotland's secret bunker has thrown open its blast-proof doors to the public for the 20th year in succession. Even after all this time, it's still able to unearth new treasures of interest. There's more that still can be uncovered, and the museum is always on the lookout for any information or lonesome materials that could be used in their displays. That said, it's interesting to note that there are doors in the museum that are still sealed off to the public because what lies behind them is classified under the Official Secrets Act. They're so well sealed off that even the cat flap for the resident cat Clio cannot be opened. The museum also contains a café, which is certainly atmospheric. It has the feel of the 50s and 60s, down to the music of Kitty Lester and Jim Reeves. When I was there with somewhat younger members of the public, they had no idea who either Kitty Lester or Jim Reeves were. Time moves on, but I think the thought of nuclear war is, I believe, so alien to many born after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disillusion of the USSR that resembles more closely the script from video games such as The Call of Duty than It Does the Real World. Times have changed, but the bunker has even played host to weddings since July 1994. Artifacts for that is what they now are, such as Scotland's secret bunker, serve as a valuable reminder that the world balanced precariously, close to nuclear disaster. Not only that, but the world was prepared for nuclear disaster. Mercifully, Troywood was never used for its intended purpose. I hope that the upgrades have made the secret bunker museum will help it to boost its tourist numbers this season and in the seasons going forward. It will continue to serve as one of the most fascinating premier attractions in north-east Fife. Those of you who have not been there, I think that it is well worth a visit. I thank you all for staying for this debate. Alex Rowley, to be followed by Graham Dey. I thank you, Presiding Officer, and I want to congratulate Roderick Campbell for securing this motion and debate tonight. On the bunker itself, I also want to congratulate James Mitchell and everyone who has been involved in putting in their time and resources to restoring the bunker and bringing it into being a major visit attraction, not just for Fife but for the whole of Scotland. I certainly look forward to visiting this attraction and looking at what has been achieved there and what can be learned. The UCICT, as a tool for getting across history and being able to engage young people in looking at the history that surrounds this particular bunker, is something that I am certainly very interested in. I know that other visitor attractions in Fife want to try to update the tools that they use to try to get their message across. I look forward to that. As Roderick has said, the Cuban Missile Crisis and such events are very much in history, but we can learn so much and perhaps tell us so much in terms of trying to look forward to what the world is. Personally, I have always campaigned and believe in multilateral disarmament, and I think that we have made progress in that area. Those are the policies that we need to continue to take forward, but certainly the history of the bunker is important in terms of looking at the lessons and how we move forward. I also welcome the investment and the reopening of this bunker, the major tourist attraction, as I said, not just for Fife, but for Scotland. Fife is someplace that is good to visit, someplace that is good to stay. We have a whole load of facilities and resources. People sometimes associate tourism in Fife with St Andrews and the North East of Fife. While this bunker in the East Newark will be a welcome contribution to what is available in North East Fife, as soon as you cross that bridge, you are into a major tourist capital, a kingdom, and there is so much. Count Fife now is attracting more outdoor visitors than most parts of Scotland. Lawhore Meadows, which is based in Moncan City and the country park there, is a major visitor attraction. We have over 460,000 visits per year. The Coast and Countryside Trust, which now maintains the Fife coastal path, can kick off faking garden and walk right up and visit the bunker when you are on your way. The key point that I have always made about all those tourist attractions is how do we ensure that we maximise the opportunities that are there. If you look at the economic strategy for Fife, tourism sector is a really important sector. We have to look at how we maximise the opportunities, encourage the developments and investment, such as the bunker, and congratulate people for doing that. We are actually ensuring that we will be able to pull all those attractions together and look at how tourism becomes truly a key part of the Fife economy, of our opportunities through training, skills development and jobs at the end of the day, and encouraging small, medium enterprises to set up as well and take advantage of the opportunities that attract more people into Fife. It is also important that we link up with our neighbours. I am a big fan of the city region agenda. In the summer time, for example, Edinburgh colleagues in Edinburgh tell me and the Edinburgh council when I have met them in the past that they are keen to see more opportunities for people to visit a much wider area than just the city itself. The bunker itself will be a very welcome addition as a visit attraction, but we need to ensure that we link up so that the councils in Fife, Edinburgh and others are working together to ensure that the wider city region and the beauty of Fife are part of the visit attraction that people get when they come to Scotland. In winding up, I congratulate Roderick Campbell for bringing this motion forward and securing this debate. I certainly congratulate all those who have been involved in putting this great visit attraction together and welcoming it on behalf of Fife. The notion of promoting secret bunkers is one that I must admit causes me a degree of amusement. I may say much about my personality, but I never cease to be tickled by a van I invariably come across when journeying to and from Parliament when I am here in Edinburgh. There it sits in blazing with promotional details of the secret bunker, indicating among other things that it is located near St Andrews, and I think that well, it is not much of a secret anymore, is it? As I said, that is something about my view of the world, and Lord knows that any source of humour to be found around the Easter road area of Edinburgh these days is to be welcomed. I want to congratulate Roderick Campbell on securing this debate on the secret bunker at Anstrad because it highlights an important issue. That is bringing to the attention of younger people just what is out there for them to visit and educating them in a way that resonates. Scotland has its castles, its nature reserves, its museums, its galleries and many of us marvel at those, but when you are a kid you only want something a bit different, something that is chimes with your world. I was reminded of this just last Monday when I helped host a visit to Parliament by a group of young pupils from Edinburgh Brothwick Primary School in Arbro. It turned out that trip to Edinburgh had also involved stopping off at Dynamic Earth. I asked one of the youngsters which part of their day had been best, and as we know, kids tend not to be overly diplomatic. Although Roderick Campbell's constituency and mine are separated by the river Tay, people from each will travel to the other for a day out. In between the two, if you are a youngster, there is the great stopping off point in the shape of the Dundee Science Centre. Arbro is a great stopping off point, too. I certainly enjoyed my visit there. The attractions such as the Science Centre and the Secret Bunker are not only a fun day out, but they are also educational when they provide children with information in a fashion that will not be forgotten in a hurry. That matters. So often children are bored by sterile presentation of history, but bring it to life and they'll engage. It's so important that children learn about events such as the Cold War so that they understand where we've come from and, quite frankly, the dangers posed by still having nuclear weapons in the world. We should all of us, of course, be thankful that these nuclear bunkers never had to be used for their intended purpose. Let's welcome the fact also that many of the 1,600 or so nuclear monitoring posts that were established are now being put to peaceful use. Not only have some such as Troywood been turned into educational resources bunkers throughout Scotland have found other different uses. The bunker under Carillers house in Dunfries has been used multiple times in emergencies, including during the 1988 Lockerby disaster in 2001 during the foot and mouth crisis and for contingency planning when bar weather has hit in recent years. The bunker at Regmore in the Highlands has been used to co-ordinate responses for numerous disasters, such as flash flooding in 2002 and 2010, when a container holding detonators exploded in Inverness. So those old bunkers have proved their worth over the decades, although not in their intended manners, and we should all be grateful for that, of course. Despite 1,600 of those monitoring rooms being built, I haven't been able to find any evidence of one of my constituency. That might be because it's still a secret, of course. But whether it's through Actonism Museum or a control room for emergencies, it's good to see these facilities being put to some productive use. I particularly welcome examples of them becoming tourism attractions. In an increasingly competitive market in which Scotland is hindered by not being able to look at reducing APD and VAT on tourism, we need every advantage we can muster to entice visitors here. North East Fife, like Angus, has its top drawer, golf heritage and scenery attractions, with a VNA to come in between the two areas. But things like the secret bunker are a little bit different. They offer that wee bit of novelty in helping to ensure that Scotland stands out from the crowd. Although the secret bunker may not be so secret now, it's certainly special, and I'd like to congratulate it on its reopening, and once again thank Rod Campbell on securing this debate. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I join with others in congratulating Rodrick Campbell on his motion and for securing the debate this evening. Scotland has many great visitor attractions, but has only one secret bunker that is currently open to the public. A bit like Graham Day's rai amusement at the publicity around the secret bunker, I always think that it's one of life's great ironies, that as you drive up the M90 motorway through Fife, a journey I make several times a week, you see the signs to the secret bunker, which is obviously not so secret after all. For 20 years, as Rod Campbell pointed out, the secret bunker has provided Scotland and Fife with one of our most unique and exciting visitor attractions, and therefore I would like to join with colleagues in welcoming its reopening. Those before me have spoken length about the impressive refurbishment of the bunker, but it's worth stating again just how substantial the structure is. It lies 300ft below ground, its entrance is hidden by a farmhouse, and the bunker is a vast labyrinth of tunnels covering an area the size of two football pitches. As part of a variety of improvements, visitors will now be able to see a remodelled British telecon room and specialist equipment needed to feed an astonishing 2,800 phone lines to the bunker. Formally closed rooms are to be opened, and a number of information screens have been added, as well as an audio tour to improve the visitor experience. Tourism, as we've heard from Alec Rowley, is a hugely important industry to Fife. In 2012, tourist expenditure in Fife was worth £313 million, contributing 6,000 full-time jobs, with 2.8 million people enjoying 6.1 million days in the area. Although famed for its castles, fishing villages and golf courses, the secret bunker gives Fife, particularly this area of Fife, another weapon in its armory to attract visitors. Despite looking almost identical today to when it was first opened, the role of the bunker has changed dramatically over the years. On its construction in 1951, the bunker operated as a military command centre and would have served as the base for the Scottish Government in the event of a nuclear attack. For the post-Cold War generation, it's hard to imagine how close the world came to nuclear Armageddon in the 1960s. The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Nuclear Arms Proliferation put the globe on the brink of all-out war. To this end, Scotland played a key strategic role during the Cold War, welcoming US submarines to the new. Recently, declassified documents show that the UK Government was preparing for nuclear attacks that would target Glasgow as the UK's second city, RAF Lossymouth and the Holylock Marine Base. As a result of this communist threat, a number of subterranean fortifications were built throughout Scotland, and many are surviving to this day, but at the moment the secret bunker in Fife is the only one to open as a visitor attraction. The Cold War forms a key part of the history curriculum at both national 4 and 5 level, and the secret bunker gives today's students the opportunity to witness firsthand some of the preparations made for war. I think it's worth reflecting on how fortunate we are that indeed the secret bunker never had to be used for its intended purpose, and the world survived that worrying period in its history. That was the Cold War, and we live, I hope, in happier times today. Fife has many historic attractions, but nothing quite like the secret bunker. Inside it, history comes alive and visitors are offered a distinct insight into the macabre world that was the Cold War. The bunker has huge importance to Fife's culture, economy and education, and I would like to join with others in wishing it success for the next 20 years. We now move to Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop for the closing speech. Cabinet Secretary, seven minutes, all thereby. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I also would congratulate Rod Campbell on reign the debate, and also for his and other informative contributions. I also would like to add the Scottish Government's congratulations on Scotland's secret bunker reaching its milestone 20th anniversary as a tourism attraction. I am sure that I am not alone in welcoming that the secret bunker, as Graham Day has pointed out, is now not so secret and is a key attraction in the East Newkow Fife, with VisitScotland featuring it in its marketing of the area. It is heartening that its original purpose as a place for Government to continue in the event of a Soviet attack was never ever required. There have been a few references to the Cuban missile crisis, and for those interested in that period, they might be interested in the role of the Scott, Paul Henderson Scott, who was serving in the British Embassy at the time he was on the last plane, the last flight into Havana, and his account during his autobiography is something that people may be interested in. To take an abandoned military bunker classified as secret until the end of the Cold War and to see the potential as an educational tool and visitor attraction illustrates the innovation, the ingenuity and the dedication that exists in Scotland that helps make the tourism industry as diverse and as welcoming as it is. As the Parliament has noted, it is welcomed that the owner, James Mitchell, has seen fit to further invest in upgrading the bunker as an important Cold War exhibit. Murdo Fraser has pointed out that not only have existing parts been refurbished but access to this massive subterranean building increased to help visitors get a better feel of the important role that the building had and to be grateful that it was never actually needed. We should also support Mr Mitchell and his endeavours to turn another bunker, one that would have been the ministerial headquarters located right here in Edinburgh, into a visitor attraction. I understand that he is currently restoring the Derek bunker underneath Christopher Hill with plans to open it in 2016. As we have mentioned, we all want to attract more visitors and Scotland has a unique appeal. The East Newk of Fife, where the bunker sits, is a microcosm of the diversity that tourism in this country offers. From picturesque harbour villages, award-winning blue flag beaches, a wonderful natural larder and historic golf courses emphasising Scotland's place as the home of golf. There are also the various attractions that help to tell the story of the area as well as the bunker in the wider Fife area. Scotland's fishing industry is celebrated at the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstrother, history through the National Trust Kelly Castle, motorsport at the Crale Raceway and, as Alex Rowley has pointed out, the fabulous Fife coastal pass linking all the communities together. He mentioned the Loch Orr site in his own constituency. Anstrother is also, as we know, famous for the award-winning fish and chips and Fife's first artisan cheese, the Anster. Of course, those will be celebrated as part of 2015's year of food and drink, which we will be going into next year. They are also, of course, impressed with marinas, servicing the growing popularity of yachting and marine tourism. Nearby in Andrews, in Rodd Campbell's constituency, has also played host to successful conferences. For example, a biblical literature conference held last year underlines the benefit from business tourism and was actively supported from the Visit Scotland administered conference bid fund. The experiences that the East Duke offers Scotland abounds in, in terms of our international visitor spend, rose 20 per cent last year and generated almost £1.7 billion. There are also 2.4 million visits to Scotland from overseas in 2013. That was a 9.8 per cent increase up on 2012. On a UK level, Scotland was in second place after London for total holiday spending. Tourism is clearly a key economic sector for Scotland and we recognise that the sector is an engine for growth and job creation. Of course, Lonely Planet, naming Scotland as one of the three top countries in the world to visit in 2014, enhancing our profile. However, I thought the point from where Lonely Planet was absolutely correct that it is not just about visitors coming to the capital city in Edinburgh. He simply missed out West Lothian when he talked about the wider area in terms of capturing and encouraging tourists to see a further effect. Tourism itself has a ripple effect on the opportunities to showcase Scotland as a place to live, learn, invest, buy from and visit again. We value the sector and we are working with the industry across a range of issues to increase the attractiveness and competitiveness of the sector. It is a key employment sector, especially in rural areas, and nowhere is that, I think, I felt more keenly than in areas of Fife. Obviously, in terms of the impact that is important there, as well as ensuring that we have skills and developed and encouraged careers in tourism. The East Newark is also actively participating in Homecoming Scotland. The East Newark festival, at the end of this month, celebrates its 10th birthday with 10 days of music, literature, family events and art. The festival will reach out to the world as international artists gather in this beautiful coastal spot. This year is a great year for Scotland in terms of Homecoming, the Ryder Cup, Commonwealth Games and a huge range of different events taking place in terms of the contribution that it can make. I encourage every area not only to celebrate the different events that are taking place now as part of the year of Homecoming, but to look ahead as Fife is already doing to the year of food and drink for architecture and design and then the year in 2017, the year of heritage. In conclusion, attractions such as the Secret Bunker are an important part of the overall tourism patchwork. Not only do they celebrate and commemorate our history or culture, they tell interesting stories that people do not know about. One that the Secret Bunker suggests is one that is always attractive. I think that the point about children in particular are always being interested in what is secret is perhaps a marketing tool that they can use. I remember being up on the London Eye with my son, who was only about seven years at the time. He had a map of everything that he could see from the top of the London Eye. It was the MI5 officers that really excited him. Having that as attraction called the Secret Bunker is one that can attract young boys in particular and their families. In terms of support for the wider sector, tourism benefits and generates £10 billion of economic activity in the wider supply chain. It contributes £5 billion to Scottish DGP. In terms of the Secret Bunker and its contribution to the local economy, that is something that we can stress as part of the story. It is also about the heritage of the culture and the unknown stories that need to be told. Further investment in the Secret Bunker and developments at Christopher must be congratulated. It also illustrates the willingness of the tourism industry, James Mitchell in particular, to continue to grow a vital part of Scotland's economy.