 The final item of business is a member's business debate on motion 1794, in the name of Megan Gallacher, on better protection for Scotland's war memorials. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put, and I would ask those members who would wish to speak in the debate to please press the request to speak buttons. I call on Megan Gallacher to open the debate up to several minutes, please, Ms Gallacher. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am really pleased to bring my first member's debate on better protections for Scotland's war memorials to the chamber today. I appreciate that I am cutting it a bit fine as I go on maternity leave next week, but I am honoured for the opportunity to raise such an important issue on behalf of veteran and community groups across Scotland. Before I begin my remarks, I would like to mention the Friends of Deniston war memorial group. Unfortunately, they are unable to be in Parliament today, but they have been at the forefront of the campaign to bring in better legislation for our war memorials. I would like to put on record my thanks for all of their hard work and efforts. Today marks the 15th of June. A rather innocuous date, and to many of us in the chamber today, is simply another Wednesday in the calendar. However, during the Great War, the 15th of June resulted in 2,637 recorded casualties for Britain and her Commonwealth allies. That is 2,637 sons, fathers, brothers and husbands who would never come home. Most of those men still lie in foreign lands where they went to serve and where they ultimately died. As the podium says, now we lie in Flandersfields. War memorials were commissioned throughout towns and villages in Scotland to commemorate the brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we could live in a world free of tyranny and oppression. For many of the families and relatives, those memorials provide the only focal point for remembering. It is the names of their loved ones who have been etched into the hundreds of war memorials across the country. They are emotive and are at the heart of our communities. Many gather at these impressive structures at least once a year on 11 November at 11am, so we can come together to remember all of those who have been commemorated in stone. It is important that we continue to meet at these important landmarks, and that younger generations are educated on what the names on the structures fought and died for. Since 1966, there have been 66 attacks on war memorials in Scotland. Although the number appears low, almost 70 per cent have occurred within the last decade, and that is a worrying trend. Data shows that most attacks have taken place across the central belt, particularly in the area that I represent. During my time as a councillor in now MSP, I have been made aware of several incidents of war memorials being damaged and vandalised. The first incident was the war memorial situated in the Duchess Park in Motherwell in 2019. I was horrified by the wording of the graffiti that had been drawn all over the names of soldiers who fought and died for our country. Words such as fatists and rats alongside the phrase and I do apologise in advance scum of the earth. It was written in red wax and was stained onto the stone, and although some community members had attempted to clean it off, it required a specialised stone mason to carry out the repair work. Like many, I was grateful that the council acted quickly and the memorial was restored in just a matter of days. However, I was disgusted that someone could be so cruel and disrespectful. Following this attack, I have been involved in other incidents such as the memorial in Coatbridge, the Spanish Civil War Memorial in Motherwell, and the Hollowtown War Memorial. I know some of my central belt MSP colleagues. We will mention those. Thank you very much. I wish Ms Galkyr all the best for the maternity leave that is coming up. Thank you for raising the issue of the Duchess Park memorial. My great-uncle's name was on that memorial as well. Will she join me in fankening Mr McGowan and his son Stephen, who cleaned the Ney Passaran War Memorial for the Spanish Civil War, having come across it and took up on themselves to clean that, which also had fascist symbols painted on it? I will issue an issue that I commented on at the time because no memorial that has names of loved ones should ever be defaced in such a manner, so I definitely share the member's comments. I know some of our central region colleagues will go on to mention various other examples, just like the one that Ms Adamson mentioned. Due to the level of attacks on war memorials across Scotland, groups such as Friends of Deniston War Memorial formed to take direct action and to bring in better protections. They have organised a successful social media campaign to highlight the number of incidents and have brought together groups of people who care about our heritage, our history and our war dead. They have petitioned the Parliament on numerous occasions, asking that more is done to protect those sites from the mindless and important attacks on the memories of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. It is a rather sad indictment that those petitions have so far been unsuccessful in achieving their desired outcome. Furthermore, many of the leading veterans' charities in Scotland have condemned those attacks. Poppy Scotland and Legion Scotland have regularly condemned the attacks on war memorials and are especially concerned about the detrimental impact that those attacks will have on the mental health of the veteran community that they so passionately represent. The cabinet secretary, the ministers, might suggest that we already have legislation in place to deal with cases of vandalism to our war memorials. She may tell Parliament that the current legislation states that perpetrators of vandalism can face up to six months in prison or finds up to £5,000 under current legislation, which deals with vandalism and desecration of statues in memorials, including war memorials. However, I do not feel that those laws are tough enough and do not provide the necessary deterrence to stop those events from happening in the first place. If the legislation was adequate, we would not see an increasing number of attacks on them. There is a massive difference between graffiti and vandalism of a picnic table and that of a war memorial. However, under the current legislation, both events are categorised in the same manner. That cannot be right. Therefore, it is my intention to launch a member's bill so that we can finally provide a stronger legislation for the better protection of Scotland's war memorials, as has already been successfully introduced by my colleagues in England and Wales via the UK Government. Before I close, I would like to remind Parliament that Armed Forces and Veterans Week starts on Monday. That is an opportunity for local communities to come together to support our Armed Forces men and women, charities and third-party organisations who work alongside veterans once they return to civilian life. I look forward to working alongside various groups as I begin to progress my bill through Parliament. Ms Gallagher, I now call Paul O'Kane to be followed by Jenny Minto. Up to four minutes, please, Mr O'Kane. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I also thank Megan Gallagher for bringing this motion to the chamber this evening, and indeed wish her well on her forthcoming maternity leave. I also apologise to you and colleagues for needing to leave prior to the conclusion of the debate, and I thank you for your accommodations in that regard. I declare an interest as the chair of the Neilston War Memorial Association, and I begin this evening by paying tribute to all those who have served and lost their lives and are recorded on our memorials across Scotland. However, in particular, I am thinking of the Falklands Islands conflict as we gather just a day after the 40-year commemoration of the conclusion of that conflict yesterday. 40 years on, we remember the 255 British personnel who paid the ultimate sacrifice, many of whom are recorded on memorials across the country. When a war memorial is vandalised or desecrated, it is quite simply appalling. Megan Gallagher is right when she says in her motion before us today that war memorials are not representative of political or religious iconography, but serve an important purpose here in Scotland, that purpose of bringing people together to remember. I believe that it is right that we take remembrance very seriously, especially considering when we have asked so much of our armed forces, and given the historic horrors of the First and Second World Wars in particular. War memorials should not serve as a glorification of war, but rather as a reminder of what happens when dialogue fails and we fail to respect our differences and find common cause in our shared home upon this planet. With that in mind, I believe that the idea of making vandalism of a war memorial a specific criminal offence contains considerable merit, and the proposal should be fully examined. I start to look forward to seeing the outcome of the petition that is submitted by the War Memorial and engaging with the member on her proposals, which she hopes to bring forward. To make a real and substantial difference right now, the Scottish Government should support police and prosecutors to exercise the current full force of the law to deal with instances of vandalism. In my own village of Neilston, we take great pride in honouring the lives lost to war and the pain of a community left behind, and in some cases that pain, which is continuing to be experienced by families to this day. The Neilston War Memorial Association, whom I have spoken of before in this chamber, is run by local volunteers and has worked hard to place and maintain memorials throughout the local area. That includes the regular maintenance of our cenotaph and the erection of a series of benches and information boards, telling the story of those who died in the Arctic convoys during the Second World War and the shelter that was given to hundreds of refugees in Neilston, whom those men died protecting. However, in recent weeks, this relatively new memorial was vandalised. I and my community were outraged by that and the behaviour that associated it. It made me think of what action we as a community can take to stop such acts from happening again. I do not doubt that some people vandalise memorials with political motivation, and there is evidence of that. However, I do believe that it can often also be out of ignorance that people carry out such acts. I am sure that many in the chamber will agree with me when I say that the best way to overcome ignorance is through education. We must make sure that skills across our country teach about horrors of the First World War. The stories and experiences of young people in our communities who never returned young men who very often were just like them must be made relevant to those stories rather than just names that are etched in cold stone on our war memorials. It is only by educating young people about such horrors and the impact that they can have on people and their communities that we can make war memorials relevant to young people and give them a sense of ownership over them. I know that many schools in Scotland have done incredible work on this already by helping, for example, to arrange trips to places such as Flanders and Normandy. In bringing my remarks to a conclusion, I hope that, with a stronger focus from Government on supporting groups such as the Neals to War Memorial Association, I am working with Police Scotland at our schools that we can end vandalism of war memorials and continue to promote their protection enhancement in all our communities. I also wish to thank and commend the work that communities, volunteers, the British Legion, churches and councils across Argyllin, but in Scotland do to keep war memorials in the heart of their communities in such wonderful condition. In St Andrews, as a brownie and guide, I took part in many Remembrance Day services in Holy Trinity Church, the minute silence, the parade to the war memorial and the reef laying. I had been told about the wars and the sacrifice, but it wasn't until Easter 1982 when a family holiday to the battlefields of Northern France coincided with the Falklands war that the Remembrance Day became much more meaningful. I knew that six Minto cousins fought in World War I, three survived, my great-uncle Rab being one who, on his return, studied for the ministry. Of the cousins who didn't come home, two are buried in different cemeteries in Poperring, one from East Lothian and one from Australia, closer to death, and closer together in death than they were in life. I was able to pay my respects to those two men when I attended World War 100 commemorations in 2017 in Ypres and Tyncott. Families joined together in Remembrance as the motion says of the young men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their countries so that everyone today, irrespective of their background, can equally enjoy freedom from tyranny and oppression. Like communities across Scotland and Argyll and Bute, Islay has its war memorials in Commonwealth War Commission graveyards. Memorials in Remembrance to Locals lost, sailors washed up on its shores and one grave of an American soldier, Roy Munkaster. In February 19, the troopship Tuscania was torpedoed in the north channel between Islay and Ireland. Almost 200 men were lost, with many being swept on to Islay and those who did not survive were buried there. After the war, those American soldiers were repatriated either to their homes, to Arlington Cemetery or to Brookwood south of London, except for Roy Munkaster. His family wanted him to remain where he'd been laid to rest. They knew he would be looked after by the Iowa folk. He is. But also the Forest Ranger Service, whom Roy worked for in Washington State, named a mountain in his memory in the Olympia National Park. Memorials take different forms. Islay's war memorials contain names of the fallen in World War II and other conflicts, and in 2018 support from the Scottish Government allowed us to clean and keep the war memorials in great form. In small communities they are personal. The surnames etched into the stone are still on the school rules today. They are not simply names, they are family members, recognised, remembered and respected. The stories of the battles in the trenches in the deserts or on the seas are handed down, retold, learnt about and in school. I struggle to understand why anyone would vandalise or desecrate a war memorial or a gravestone. Do we not do enough to ensure the stories behind the names are told? Yes, punishment should fit the crime and I welcome that, but the history behind our war memorials needs to be handed down through the generations lest we forget. That is why these debates are so important, and like the one last week on 40 years since the Falklands led by my colleague Graham Day, they raise awareness. Our war memorials belong to our communities. They represent the collective memories and histories of our communities. They are, as others have said, beyond politics. They do not judge wars as just or unjust. They simply but start to remind us what high prices communities pay when countries go to war, and they honour those of our own folk who paid the ultimate sacrifice. They are too important to fall prey to thoughtless and ignorant vandalism. I now call Stephen Kerr to be followed by Fulton MacGregor up to four minutes, please, Mr Kerr. It is a great pleasure to follow Jenny Minto. I thought she gave a beautiful speech, and indeed all the speeches have been first class. I want to thank my good friend and neighbour Megan Gallacher for securing this debate about Scotland's war memorials. This is a timely debate for the people of Falkirk, with the unveiling of the Bainsford war memorial on Friday last week and the rededication of the Grangemouth war memorial on Saturday. Scotland's war memorials must be defended. As the motion lays out, there has been an increase of targeted vandalism on war memorials across Scotland. Those are shameless and shameful attacks, not only on the physical memorials themselves but on what those memorials represent. Millions across our United Kingdom, across Scotland, made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy liberties that are part of our everyday lives. We must defend this legacy. I heard mention of Flanders, and memories came back to me of a family visit to Ypres visiting the Commonwealth War Graves commission tended graves of our fallen and the Men and Gate. Everyone, I think, should see the Men and Gate with tens of thousands of names of young men, and they were very young, who are lost, their bodies never found. Those memorials, whether in Belgium or northern France, or across all of our communities in Scotland, need to be conserved. You wouldn't be surprised to hear a conservative asked for something to be conserved. Everyone across Scotland must have a local war memorial that they can be proud of. I live in the small community of Bridget Valley, and the war memorial there is the focus of our remembrance across all parties, all types of people across Bridget Valley on every Remembrance Sunday. It was at the Remembrance Sunday in Grangemouth last year that a number of members of the public came up to me to express their sadness about the growing moss on the war memorial. Sharing that concern, I wrote to numerous bodies asking them what could be done to remove this moss. I found out that a professional clean to remove moss and bacteria growth was undertaken last in 2017, but that moss was once again visible within 18 months. Although I was assured that the low-level removal of moss growth can be undertaken by park staff and volunteers after appropriate training, I was disappointed to read that Falkirk Council had concluded that recommissioning this cleaning work on a sufficient regular basis for the memorial to appear clear of biological growth is not affordable within our current budgets. I do not wish to stray into party political territory here, but Falkirk Council has suffered cuts and I fear for the future of budgets that exist to conserve Scotland's war memorials. When preparing for this debate, a quote from one of my political heroes at Winston Churchill struck me. He said, we shape our buildings and they after they shape us. I reflect on that. I know that war memorials are not buildings, but they certainly shape us. I will never forget the impression that the war memorials of Belgium and northern France made on our children. Regardless of where we are in our United Kingdom, when you walk past a war memorial, you can only remember duty shown by our fellow countrymen and the sacrifices they have made. As we in this chamber and those across our United Kingdom look to the future, we must ground ourselves by remembering all those who have come before us and the sacrifices they have made and the lessons that they continue to teach us. Our war memorials allow us to do that on a daily basis, and that is why, Deputy Presiding Officer, we must be united and defend them. Thank you, Mr Kerr. I now call Fulton McGregor to be followed by Alexander Burnett. Up to four minutes please, Mr McGregor. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I also want to thank you and pay tribute to Megan Gallacher for bringing this important debate to the chamber and also wish her well on her maternity leave. The motion is indeed correct that memorials hold a very special place in the hearts of those in our communities and ensure that most of us in this chamber have paid tribute to those who died fighting for their country at such memorials. They are a reminder of what we lost and the sacrifices that were made. I myself have been the honour of laying a wreath many times in my constituency of Co-bridge and Chrysyn at the war memorial situated near the centre of Co-bridge, which Megan Gallacher talked about also, Glen Boyge, Gart Cosh and other locations across the constituency. The one at Co-bridge I have done is the six years in MSP, a councillor before that, and it goes back even further to when I was a young boy and a adolescent in the boys brigade, and we went there on memorial day as well. That memorial pays tribute to those who lost their lives both in the First and World Wars, and as Elaine Smith, former MSP, spoke in here a few times about the design being by Edith Burnett Hughes, who was a very important figure in Scottish architecture. She was considered Britain's first practising women architect, and it was first unveiled in 1924, meaning that this special memorial is fast approaching its 100th birthday, and I'm sure that myself and Megan and others will be at events to commemorate that in a couple of years' time. As Claire Adamson mentioned, a personal connection to the war memorial. In her area, similarly, there's her name Joseph Simpson, who is inscribed in that memorial, who's my mum's uncle, so that would be my great-uncle as well, I think, and similar to Claire Adamson, who she never met, and I'm very proud of his names inscribed here. Sadly, as Megan Gallachers talked about, the point of the motion is that vandalism, that these memorials sometimes receive in this particular memorial on Coatbridge, has had several acts of vandalism even in the six years that I've been an MSP. I've had to stand up at First Minister's Questions on a couple of occasions and condemn it. What's been written on war memorials, the vandalism itself, is absolutely disgusting. Myself and the local community were obviously rightly outraged. I have to say over the last couple of years that there hasn't been anything and I do hope that that continues and I hope that I don't find myself having to stand up in the chamber again this year and condemn it. Attacks in that centre or any centre are a direct attack on the memory of the men who fought and died for their country. They come from different backgrounds. They come from all faiths and none. I have to say that the experience is a different situation because Stephen Kerr was talking about moss, but I have to say that not-flancher council did, as Megan Gallachers talked about the situation, react very quickly and cleaned up the graffiti that was on it on those occasions, so I want to pay tribute to them for doing that. I want to spend the rest of my speech talking about two local men who have contributed greatly to ensuring that the war memorial pays tribute to everyone who lost their lives. I think that that gives into Jenny Mintle's point about reminding people of their value and their importance. Firstly, and I've spoken about it both in the chamber before, in fact I think I had a member's debate in the last session on this very subject, but very briefly, Presiding Officer, firstly a former teacher, Les Jenkins, indeed my own history teacher, just a couple of years ago. First of the idea of his project 35 years ago and involved his history pupils at Coatbridge High, but he completed his retirement to mark the centenary of the conflict's end. He compiled the stories of all 863 first world war fallen who are on the Coatbridge same daff and Les's biographies of the Coatbridge soldiers are contained in a series of folders which members can access in the local studies room at Airdrie library if you're interested. The other gentleman I'll talk about is John McCann. He is a website which is a culmination of more than a decade of research. He travelled across Europe to piece together scraps of the information that was recorded about the brave fighting men from Coatbridge who lost their lives during the Great War. When Mr McCann learned that no research had actually been done on the men who the memorial commemorates, he decided to collect it himself, as I said, and his website lists all the names. There has been a lot of support from family and friends of the fallen who have found out about information about their loved ones and it's a really, really incredibly important work and I'm sure the members will agree in that. I'm actually hoping to meet John soon. He now lives in Northern Ireland with myself in Les Jenkins. I'm looking to set up a meeting and I would be happy to send an invite to Megan Gallacher to come along to that if you can fit it in when Governor maternity leave, when we get it set up and we'll do that. I'll leave it on that, thank you very much. That's great, thank you very much indeed, Mr Gregor. I will now call Alexander Burnett, who will be the last speaker before I ask the Minister to respond up to four minutes please, Mr Burnett. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I join my colleagues who have spoken tonight in thanking Megan Gallacher for securing this important debate on her first member's business and giving us all the opportunity to speak on the importance of having better protection for our war memorials. 2018, the year we marked 100 years since the end of World War I, that summer I visited all 50 war memorials and Commonwealth graves in Aberdeenshire West and visiting the memorials to pay respects to those who gave their lives in the Great War was deeply moving. A stark reminder of not just the violence and atrocities, but the solidarity, sacrifice and bravery shown by many. War memorials serve as a symbol to respect those who gave their life for the greater good, and I support my colleagues' calls to bring forward stronger legislation, which will ensure that these memorials are protected and will recognise vandalism of memorials for the heinous criminal act that it is. But I want to note however that during my visits to these war memorials and graveyards, I was very disheartened to see that many of them are now longer being maintained properly, and headstones and memorials serve to honour their sacrifice and bravery, and they should be well maintained, and several constituents have started to contact me over the state of these various graveyards. I understand that it is the practice of the Scottish Government not to directly fund war memorials, but it was assured previously that a number of years ago they introduced a fund to help maintain and improve war memorials where required, and this was operated through Historic Environment Scotland's War Memorial Trust's grants scheme, so I'd be grateful to hear from the Minister if his fund is still in operation or if there are any other systems in place to support the maintenance for war memorials. Now, cemeteries themselves fall under local authorities and obviously Covid restrictions had impacted on landscape service teams, but normal service has far been resumed following cuts to their budgets. Often, I should say, under the excuse of increasing wildlife habitat, so communities had started to take matters into their own hands, including the Friends of Ellen Cemetery, started by Councillor Julian Owen after seeing the success of the Friends of Tariff Cemetery, but if budget cuts were not bad enough, just today I read in the press and journal that the Friends of Ellen, who were pulled at discovering graves of loved ones covered in cut grass, have now been banned from clearing the mess themselves due to health and safety rules unless they get special training. One can't help but think what those remembered by such graves would make of how we define risk today. So I just asked the Cabinet Secretary to recognise and support this very important issue today, and once again consider providing direct funding to community councils or other local groups to ensure that all graveyards and memorials can be well kept, including cutting the grass and maintaining structures to enable people to show their respect for many more years to come. Can I just finish by thanking those who have fought for us and those who continue to serve? We are reminded in current times of the bravery of those who make the world a safer place, and we are forever grateful and thank you for your service. I now call on Ash Wregan Minister to respond to the debate up to seven minutes. I would also like to extend my thanks to Megan Gallagher for providing an opportunity this evening to highlight and to discuss the importance of preserving and protecting our war memorials and to thank the other members across the chamber who have contributed to today's debate, particularly Jenny Minto, who gave a very thoughtful contribution this evening. We have had this time to reflect that memorials such as the ones we are discussing are not there to glorify war, and I think that this was a point that was made by Mr McCain instead to recognise the sacrifices that were made to protect the freedoms that we enjoy today. War memorials across Scotland give friends and families and the general public important and poignant focal points to pay their respects to so many of our countries' young men and women who did not return home from conflicts around the globe. They also play a vital role in raising awareness of past conflicts among those too young to remember them. They help us to remember the hardships endured, the courage displayed in the face of adversity and the ultimate sacrifice made during those times of conflict. I have been lucky enough to see some of the outstanding work that has been done in our communities across the country to honour those who have fought and continue to fight for the liberties and peace that we so often take for granted, and I am very grateful for that. We will forever hold an honoured place in our hearts for the commitment and sacrifices made by veterans, as well as our active service men and women. Their legacy is deserving of the utmost respect, and it is therefore easy for us to appreciate how distressing and abhorrent it is when war memorials and statues connected to the past conflicts are the target of willful vandalism. I am pleased that the Scottish Government plays its part in ensuring that war memorials throughout the country are looked after to the highest standard, and that is through the Scottish Government's Centenary Memorial Restoration Fund. Historic Environment Scotland provided support totaling £1 million to the war memorial's trust, and that money was used to aid repairs to war memorials throughout Scotland from April 2013 until March 2018. The programme supported the repair and conservation of about 125 projects in total, and the support has not ended there. In 2019-20, Historic Environment Scotland also awarded the war memorial's trust a grant of just over £91,000, and that was to fund 50 per cent of their grants, programmes and conservation programmes. I am pleased to say that this year, Historic Environment Scotland have awarded a further £88,000 to fund war memorial's trust conservation programme and 50 per cent of its grant programme in Scotland, and that is for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025. Of course, I welcome the announcement there. However, does the minister acknowledge that the current legislation does not act as a deterrent, and that is why we are seeing an increase that we have done over the last decade in the vandalism of war memorials? I take the member's point. I have some statistics here. It seems as if the crime is a very low crime, and the information that I had received was from the war memorial's trust, and they said that the statistics are 0.04 per cent of war memorials that are damaged in the way that Ms Gallagher is describing, but I accept that it is a particularly distressing crime. I will go on to speak a little bit more about the legislative approach in a moment. Turning to the distressing subjects of vandalism, including the incidents that have been referred to already, the recent petition that has been submitted on behalf of the Friends of Deniston war memorial urges the Scottish Government to introduce stronger legislation that would recognise the desecration or vandalism of war memorials as a specific criminal offence. I hear the heartfelt concerns of that group and, indeed, some of the speakers this evening, and I can reassure members that the Scottish Government continues to recognise the importance of Scottish war memorials in ensuring that the memories of those who gave their lives in conflict are not forgotten. Vandalism is a crime, regardless of the motivations for it, and the Scottish Government condemns all acts of malicious vandalism and graffiti. That sort of behaviour is unacceptable in modern Scotland, and those who are indulging in such behaviour can expect to face criminal charges. I will say a little bit more about the current legal provisions in Scotland relating to vandalism. Under the vandalism provisions contained in the criminal law consolidation Scotland act of 95, any person who, without reasonable excuse, willfully or recklessly destroys or damages any property belonging to another shall be guilty of the offence of vandalism and liable for a fine of up to £1,000. The Antisocial Behaviour Scotland act of 2004 also enables the police to issue on-the-spot penalties to people suspected, and that is of more low-level crimes of offences such as graffiti. Additionally, depending on the circumstances, common law breach of the police could be used to deal with those involved in the desecration of statues and monuments. Such individuals may also fall foul of the criminal justice and licensing act of 2010 if they are also involved in threatening or abusive behaviour, which causes fear or alarm for which an individual can be fined or receive a prison term up to five years. The Scottish Government supports police and prosecutors in using the existing powers that they have available to them in dealing with incidents of vandalism that affect warm memorials. However, we are open to considering this matter further, and whether it would be appropriate to consider introducing additional legislation in order to protect warm memorials. I thank Ms Gallagher for raising the debate today. I welcome the views that have been expressed in the debate across the chamber this evening, which have been helpful in raising the profile of this very important issue. I will reflect on the points that members have raised today in the discussion. I also thank the Friends of Deniston War Memorial petition.