Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

That the Parliament considers the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh to be one of the city's historic, architectural and cultural assets; notes the plans by the City of Edinburgh Council for refurbishment of the Assembly Rooms and that this includes converting the lower floors of the building to shops and a restaurant; is concerned at the apparent lack of public awareness of this scheme until very recently; understands that the council planning committee voted not to allow discussion on the planning application for the scheme; notes that a decision on the scheme will be taken by the City of Edinburgh Council on Thursday 16 December 2010 and that, if agreed, the final approval would have to be given by ministers, and recognises the Save the Assembly Rooms campaign, its website at www.savetheassemblyrooms.com and its petition, which now has around 6,000 signatories.