FIRE AT MZUZU UNIVERSITY, MALAWI

That this House notes with regret news of a fire at Mzuzu University in northern Malawi, in late December, which destroyed the university library and its stock of at least 45,000 books; further notes that the University was established in 1997 as Malawi's second national public university, and has admitted students since 1999; believes that the destruction of such a valuable resource is a loss not only to the institution but to the country as a whole; welcomes the messages of support the University has received from friends in Malawi and internationally; and particularly welcomes the actions by the Scotland­ Malawi Partnership to co-ordinate efforts in Scotland to respond to the disaster by appealing for donations of books, equipment and funds to help re-stock and rebuild the library, and to ensure temporary provision for students at the University.