I agree with Ash Regan that the people of Scotland should be able to determine their future.

She is absolutely right about the length of time that has passed since the 2014 referendum. She did not mention, although she could have, that a mechanism exists for there to be a border poll for Northern Ireland, and it is suggested that that might be able to be held every seven years. If it is possible for Northern Ireland, I do not see why it is not possible for Scotland.

This Government remains seized of making the case that people in Scotland, regardless of whether they support or oppose independence—I and this Government support it—should be able to decide as quickly as possible. We require to have a mechanism in place, and we will do everything that we can to ensure that we have a legal and respected process that is recognised around the world so that Scotland can take its rightful place as a member state of the European Union and the international community.

I am grateful to Clare Adamson for lodging the motion and securing the debate. It is right that we celebrate the life and legacy of Hugh MacDiarmid and mark the work of the Brownsbank trustees, whom I have met in the past. I commend their efforts in promoting the preservation of this legendary poet’s work and home for future generations to enjoy. I thank the various speakers in the debate for their valuable and interesting contributions.

I begin by reflecting on Hugh MacDiarmid’s life, as others have remembered him, offering a few personal reflections. As we have heard, Christopher Murray Grieve was born in 1892 in Langholm, in what is now Dumfries and Galloway. He died in 1978, aged 86. He was a voracious reader as a boy, which set him up well for his future careers, in which he celebrated words and languages. He was a pupil at Broughton high school, the school that I would attend—many decades later, I hasten to add. Indeed, there was house that was named after him—Grieve house.

As a young journalist, MacDiarmid reported on the challenges facing those living in the mining communities of Wales for a socialist newspaper run by Keir Hardie, the Scottish founder and leader of the Labour Party. By the early 1920s, his political consciousness was growing, shaped, no doubt, by the seismic events around him: the first world war of 1914 to 1918, the Easter rising in Ireland in 1916, the Russian revolution in 1917 and his own experiences during time spent in the military.

As we have heard, MacDiarmid’s political views changed over time; they reportedly encompassed socialism, communism, labour values and Scottish nationalism. Notably, from my perspective, he was a founding member of the National Party of Scotland in 1928. I wonder what he would have made of our debate in the Scottish Parliament this evening and of the event that follows it, organised by the Brownsbank trust, to celebrate his life, his work and his home.

By 1922, Grieve had begun to use the pseudonym “Hugh MacDiarmid” when he published a verse in Scots, and his early writing heralded a new literary movement in Scotland. Hugh MacDiarmid is rightly associated with the Scots language, and he was also a strong supporter of the promotion and use of Gaelic, as were others who, with him, formed the Scottish literary renaissance.

Today, the Scottish Government has a number of interventions and projects in place to support Gaelic and Scots, with new funding to be provided in 2025-26. The Scottish Government supports bodies such as the Association of Scottish Literary Studies, the Scottish Book Trust, Scots Hoose and the Scots Language Centre. Those organisations built on Hugh MacDiarmid’s legacy by further enriching Scots language literature and raising the status of Scots in our public and cultural life.

Hugh MacDiarmid experienced years of exile, collapse and recovery in the 1930s, and he continued to dominate the Scottish literary world, even as he aged. His work in the 1950s and 1960s continued his fascination with languages and art forms as he sought to celebrate human creativity in all its aspects.

MacDiarmid’s legacy continues to help build Scotland’s reputation and inspires academic and international links. In 2023, the Université de Bretagne Occidentale, which is based in Brest, held the first international Hugh MacDiarmid conference. The Scottish Government is keen to take advantage of such opportunities in future to celebrate the legacy of poets such as Hugh MacDiarmid domestically and internationally, particularly as we continue to expand our links with Scotland’s diaspora.

It is a testimony to the vision and tenacity of the Brownsbank trustees, the support provided by MSPs from across the Parliament and the advice provided to the trustees by our national bodies that we are discussing Hugh MacDiarmid’s huge and lasting legacy in Scotland today. The debate is a reflection of the importance of protecting the place where he lived for the last 27 years of his life, for it was at Brownsbank cottage that Hugh MacDiarmid lived with his wife, Valda Trevlyn, from 1951 to 1978.

The story of the cottage forms part of our heritage, which defines who we are as a nation and is hugely inspirational, helping to create a powerful sense of place and providing a backdrop against which we live, work and have fun.

The Scottish Government delivers support for the historic environment through sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland. Through its grant schemes, HES delivers benefits for communities by helping to regenerate and promote the active use, care and maintenance of the historic environment. I understand that Historic Environment Scotland provided feedback to the Brownsbank trust on a previous proposal, and I encourage the trust to continue engaging with our public bodies.

Hugh MacDiarmid’s commitment to Scotland and to literature has left a remarkable legacy for us. I congratulate everyone who took part in the debate and commend Hugh MacDiarmid’s work to everyone with an interest in the complexities of our history, which continue to shape us today. I commend, too, the work of the Brownsbank trustees in securing Hugh MacDiarmid’s former home for future generations to enjoy.

I am grateful to Clare Adamson for lodging the motion and securing the debate. It is right that we celebrate the life and legacy of Hugh MacDiarmid and mark the work of the Brownsbank trustees, whom I have met in the past. I commend their efforts in promoting the preservation of this legendary poet’s work and home for future generations to enjoy. I thank the various speakers in the debate for their valuable and interesting contributions.

I begin by reflecting on Hugh MacDiarmid’s life, as others have remembered him, offering a few personal reflections. As we have heard, Christopher Murray Grieve was born in 1892 in Langholm, in what is now Dumfries and Galloway. He died in 1978, aged 86. He was a voracious reader as a boy, which set him up well for his future careers, in which he celebrated words and languages. He was a pupil at Broughton high school, the school that I would attend—many decades later, I hasten to add. Indeed, there was house that was named after him—Grieve house.

As a young journalist, MacDiarmid reported on the challenges facing those living in the mining communities of Wales for a socialist newspaper run by Keir Hardie, the Scottish founder and leader of the Labour Party. By the early 1920s, his political consciousness was growing, shaped, no doubt, by the seismic events around him: the first world war of 1914 to 1918, the Easter rising in Ireland in 1916, the Russian revolution in 1917 and his own experiences during time spent in the military.

As we have heard, MacDiarmid’s political views changed over time; they reportedly encompassed socialism, communism, labour values and Scottish nationalism. Notably, from my perspective, he was a founding member of the National Party of Scotland in 1928. I wonder what he would have made of our debate in the Scottish Parliament this evening and of the event that follows it, organised by the Brownsbank trust, to celebrate his life, his work and his home.

By 1922, Grieve had begun to use the pseudonym “Hugh MacDiarmid” when he published a verse in Scots, and his early writing heralded a new literary movement in Scotland. Hugh MacDiarmid is rightly associated with the Scots language, and he was also a strong supporter of the promotion and use of Gaelic, as were others who, with him, formed the Scottish literary renaissance.

Today, the Scottish Government has a number of interventions and projects in place to support Gaelic and Scots, with new funding to be provided in 2025-26. The Scottish Government supports bodies such as the Association of Scottish Literary Studies, the Scottish Book Trust, Scots Hoose and the Scots Language Centre. Those organisations built on Hugh MacDiarmid’s legacy by further enriching Scots language literature and raising the status of Scots in our public and cultural life.

Hugh MacDiarmid experienced years of exile, collapse and recovery in the 1930s, and he continued to dominate the Scottish literary world, even as he aged. His work in the 1950s and 1960s continued his fascination with languages and art forms as he sought to celebrate human creativity in all its aspects.

MacDiarmid’s legacy continues to help build Scotland’s reputation and inspires academic and international links. In 2023, the Université de Bretagne Occidentale, which is based in Brest, held the first international Hugh MacDiarmid conference. The Scottish Government is keen to take advantage of such opportunities in future to celebrate the legacy of poets such as Hugh MacDiarmid domestically and internationally, particularly as we continue to expand our links with Scotland’s diaspora.

It is a testimony to the vision and tenacity of the Brownsbank trustees, the support provided by MSPs from across the Parliament and the advice provided to the trustees by our national bodies that we are discussing Hugh MacDiarmid’s huge and lasting legacy in Scotland today. The debate is a reflection of the importance of protecting the place where he lived for the last 27 years of his life, for it was at Brownsbank cottage that Hugh MacDiarmid lived with his wife, Valda Trevlyn, from 1951 to 1978.

The story of the cottage forms part of our heritage, which defines who we are as a nation and is hugely inspirational, helping to create a powerful sense of place and providing a backdrop against which we live, work and have fun.

The Scottish Government delivers support for the historic environment through sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland. Through its grant schemes, HES delivers benefits for communities by helping to regenerate and promote the active use, care and maintenance of the historic environment. I understand that Historic Environment Scotland provided feedback to the Brownsbank trust on a previous proposal, and I encourage the trust to continue engaging with our public bodies.

Hugh MacDiarmid’s commitment to Scotland and to literature has left a remarkable legacy for us. I congratulate everyone who took part in the debate and commend Hugh MacDiarmid’s work to everyone with an interest in the complexities of our history, which continue to shape us today. I commend, too, the work of the Brownsbank trustees in securing Hugh MacDiarmid’s former home for future generations to enjoy.

I thank Colin Beattie for bringing the debate to the chamber and, as ever, for his long-standing and steadfast support for Ukraine. As other members have done, I acknowledge the presence of the Consul of Ukraine, Andrii Madzyanovski, and other members of the Ukrainian Scottish community. As Liam McArthur has done, I share our appreciation for his predecessors, Andrii Kuzlii, and, before him, Yevhen Mankovskyi, who also played such an important role after the full-scale Russian invasion.

It is important to remember that, as a number of colleagues have pointed out, the Russian aggression started not three years ago but way before that. That is the Ukrainian experience. If you want to know about Russia’s imperial ambitions, speak to the Georgians in Abkhazia or South Ossetia, or to the Moldovans—the list goes on. We have been reminded about 1958 in Hungary and 1968 in Czechoslovakia. The Soviets and the Russians have form in all this.

The statement from the Prime Minister in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon, reflecting on the European leaders’ summit, was extraordinarily welcome. Given the literally dangerous situation that we find ourselves in, the fact that there is cross-party support not only in this debate but more widely—which is perhaps too rare—is a reflection of our understanding of how important it is that we work together.

That was echoed yesterday by the First Minister’s statement in the Parliament. The First Minister emphasised a number of themes that I think have come through in the contributions that we have heard. We have heard all about the courage and determination of Ukraine’s democratically elected President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and, indeed, of all Ukrainians, not only since Russia’s full-scale invasion but since the invasion of Crimea, in the east of the country, years previously.

Rather than single out any particular speech, I pay tribute to everybody who has spoken, because everybody has spoken in support of Ukraine this evening.

Absolutely. That is really important. I agree with Neil Bibby.

I want to reflect on a number of things that members raised. We cannot countenance the warning of inaction in the face of aggression. We should give consideration to what happens with Russian assets, €300 billion-worth of which are deposited in Europe. We should also consider the growing European commitments to defence and security.

There has not been much mention today, either here or in the UK media, of what I consider to be the historic announcement by Germany yesterday—probably the biggest single financial announcement that has been made by a German Government since the second world war—of new spending of €500 billion on defence and infrastructure. Germany understands the scale that we will have to aim for. That lesson about the scale of the challenge that we are facing needs to be learned by other Governments, including our own.

We have heard about the importance of a just peace a number of times. When I hear some people talking about securing peace for Ukraine, I fear that it sounds a lot like surrender with a bow on top. We need to remember that Russia can end this war tomorrow; it just needs to withdraw its troops and leave. I agree that it should pay for what it has done to Ukraine. [Applause.]

Last week, we marked three years since Russia’s brutal full-scale attack on Ukraine. How much we owe to the Ukrainians who resisted at Hostomel right at the start. Just imagine what would have happened if the Russians had managed to take that airfield and proceeded with their plans. The Ukrainians resisted, they stood, they defeated the Russians at Hostomel, and the rest is history. They have been able to withstand the Russian aggression at great cost.

We are repulsed by the appalling and shocking violence that we have seen, but we remain inspired by the on-going strength, resilience and bravery of the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian armed forces. That includes all those who are fighting on the front lines, the families who have had to leave their homes and loved ones behind in search of safety elsewhere, and the people who are having to go to the bunkers for safety because of the daily rocket attacks on cities throughout Ukraine.

We must realise the significance of the moment that we face.

We most certainly should be aware of that danger, and we should counter it. We should make sure that we can rely on reliable news sources. However, it should surely be obvious to anybody that Russia invaded Ukraine. There is no doubt about that, regardless of some of the revisionism that we have heard in recent weeks and months. Let us never tire of pointing out the fact that Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim, and we stand with Ukraine.

Thousands of Ukrainians who have made Scotland their home will be deeply concerned by recent developments. As members across the chamber have done, I offer an assurance of our continuing commitment to securing a strong and durable peace that ensures that Ukraine has a secure future. We are clear that there can be no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine being at the heart of the talks. We all wish a speedy victory for Ukraine and a resolution that restores peace to the Ukrainian people and ensures Ukrainian sovereignty, democracy, independence and its territorial integrity.

Ukrainians continue to stand firm and are defending their country, their homes, their culture and their independence. Their spirit serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of freedom and the lengths to which people will go to protect it. It is a moment not only to acknowledge the horrors of war, but to celebrate the enduring hope and courage that persist even in these darkest of times.

Now more than ever, we need to emphasise the importance of global dialogues and unity across the political spectrum. As the First Minister has emphasised, we all need to find a cool and rational way through the current challenges that we face.

Throughout the three years of war since the full-scale invasion, the Scottish Government has repeatedly condemned Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. We must continue to show that we are steadfast behind Ukraine and alongside our partners in Europe. There were strong signs of European unity and solidarity on display in London at the weekend. I was encouraged to see the shared commitment to stepping up to support Ukraine.

As part of our on-going solidarity, we will continue to support our friends from Ukraine to settle well in Scotland. We will endeavour to do everything that we can to provide a warm future and to support them to build a new life here. Since the war against Ukraine began, more than 28,000 people with a Scottish sponsor have arrived in the UK, and 21,000 of those arrivals have come through the Scottish Government’s successful supersponsorship scheme. That has enabled us to offer sanctuary to more Ukrainians than any other part of the UK. I am incredibly proud of the kindness and friendship that have been extended by people across Scotland to those who are fleeing war. Many people have opened their homes to Ukrainians, offered them a safe place to stay and helped them to settle into life here.

I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge the work of our local authorities and our third sector partners across Scotland, which continue to ensure that Ukrainian people are able to access the services that they need. Ukrainian communities are now flourishing across Scotland, from the Western Isles to Dumfries and Galloway, and from Orkney to the Scottish Borders.

In my role as cabinet secretary, I have had the pleasure and the honour to meet so many Ukrainian people across Scotland and to hear at first hand their personal stories. The past three years have allowed so many Ukrainians to become our friends, our neighbours and our colleagues. While many Ukrainians have been helped by the Scottish welcome, we, in turn, are rewarded by the Ukrainian families who have come here. I say “Thank you” to those from Ukraine who have made Scotland their home for now.

As we continue to hope for peace in Ukraine, our message remains the same. We will continue to stand with the courageous people of Ukraine. We will continue to take an approach that is shaped by our compassion and the need to stand up for democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and we remain fully committed to supporting Ukraine’s long-term future and playing our full part in helping to deliver it.

Slava Ukraini. Heroyam slava. [Applause.]

I commend the content and tone of Foysol Choudhury’s question. We need to recognise that the direction of travel in relation to Scottish productions, especially for public service broadcasters, has been to increase their number, which is a good thing.

Having said that, there are rules to make sure that we get the maximum value in support of our screen sector in Scotland. Foysol Choudhury raised a very specific case, which has prompted me to hold meetings directly with Ofcom and the BBC to ensure that the rules, and the spirit of the rules, are upheld. I am delighted—as, I assume, Mr Choudhury is—that there is cross-party support for that. I hope that the BBC and Ofcom are listening very closely to what Foysol Choudhury has said and to what I have said.

I acknowledge that Edinburgh Northern and Leith is a centre for the creative industries and that some very prominent and successful advertising agencies are based there.

I am entirely focused on making sure that, right across the screen sector—whether it is advertising, television or film—we get maximum value in relation to the industry heading in the right direction. The most recent studies have shown the industry to be worth about £635 million in gross value added a year, and it has the potential to become a billion-pound industry by 2030.

I would encourage advertisers, those who commission TV programmes and those who want to film for the big screen to do so in Scotland as much as possible.

The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Library and Information Council’s public library improvement fund, which supports both the physical and the virtual library offers. The fund has supported multiple local authorities to access equipment, training and resources to take library services online. In Mr Coffey’s constituency, the “On the road to digital success” project provides digital access and assistance to communities across East Ayrshire. The Scottish Library and Information Council is committed to blending the digital and the physical spaces to create an offer that is responsive to evolving needs.

I again commend the questioner for the tone and content of the question. Alexander Stewart has hit on some of the latest good news that we have in the screen sector. Over recent years, we have gone from having very limited studio capacity in Scotland to having significant studios right across the country.

The project in Stirling is, indeed, a game changer. That is why I visited the site and why Screen Scotland is intimately involved in supporting the development of the site. I have very high hopes that it will be but the latest good news story in the general direction of travel for the screen sector in Scotland, which we should do everything to support.