The passing of Mr. Helensburgh Billy Petrie OBE

That this House marks with great sadness the passing of Billy Petrie OBE, at the age of 94, following decades of devoted service to his local community, service which earned him the sobriquet Mr. Helensburgh and which was rewarded with his well-deserved elevation to becoming a Freeman of Argyll & Bute in 2012; recognises the remarkable contribution made by Billy who represented the people of Helensburgh as a local councillor for 45 years, through numerous reorganisations of local government, first on Helensburgh Town Council, then Dumbarton District Council and latterly on Argyll & Bute Council; notes that to this day Billy holds the distinction of being the only person in Scotland to have served as Provost of three different local councils and on at least one occasion had the largest majority of any local councillor in Scotland; acknowledges that even in retirement, Billy continued to work tirelessly for the Helensburgh and Lomond community by promoting it as a tourist destination; and conveys our sincere thanks and appreciation to Billy Petrie for a lifetime of public service and sends our deepest condolences to his family and many friends.