Parliament Congratulates Big Burns Supper

The motion below was proposed by South Scotland MSP Joan McAlpine at the Scottish Parliament on 28th January 2013:

That the Parliament congratulates the organisers of the Big Burns Supper in Dumfries over the weekend of 25 to 27 January 2013; considers that the three-day event is establishing itself as a cornerstone of Scotland's Winter Festivals programme despite being only two years old and already has a good claim to be the biggest Burns festival in the world; understands that the festival involved hundreds of members of the local community as volunteers, performers and ambassadors while generating substantial additional income for local businesses; considers that, despite the challenges of heavy snow and flooding, the event was a great success involving over 100 different events at 45 venues across the town including the spiegeltent for the first time in Dumfries; believes that the Big Burns Supper is a fitting celebration of the birthday of Scotland's national bard, who lived and worked in Dumfries, and looks forward to the next Big Burns Supper for homecoming 2014.

Hear, hear and a' that