Congratulations to the Scottish Maritime Museum

That the Parliament notes the significance of exhibits held at the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine; welcomes the news that the Imperial War Museum has requested two items from its collection to form part of an exhibition marking the 70th anniversary of the start of the second world war; notes that the pieces come from the liner SS Athenia, the first British ship sunk in the second world war, having been torpedoed approximately 200 miles out in the Atlantic on Sunday 3 September 1939, within a few hours of war being declared; acknowledges that collections such as this are invaluable to the nation’s cultural heritage, further enhancing the role of Scottish museums around the world; commends the ongoing work of the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine, along with Scotland’s other industrial museums, and therefore agrees that it is in the nation’s interest that these museums are protected and assured of a secure future.