Parliamentary News Release
072/2004
25 November 2004
PARLIAMENT FINDS HOMES FOR MSPs' DESKS FROM THE MOUND
The desks and chairs which MSPs used for five years at the Scottish Parliament's temporary home at the Mound in Edinburgh have all been found new homes.
It was decided in May by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body that the MSPs' furniture which made up the familiar Debating Chamber in the Church of Scotland's Assembly Hall should be offered to interested organisations, free of charge.
Since then the furniture has been delivered to a variety of places including Paisley Museum , Edinburgh 's Telford College and the charity, Childline.
The only individual who has received furniture is former MSP Dr Winnie Ewing. She has been gifted the Presiding Officer's desk and chair which she used when she “reconvened” the Scottish Parliament after almost 300 years.
As the oldest sitting MSP in 1999 she was called upon to chair the first meeting of the Parliament in its temporary home at the Mound until a Presiding Officer was appointed.
Now that the Scottish Parliament is in its new home at Holyrood, the Presiding Officer's first desk is no longer needed.
Dr Ewing wrote to Presiding Officer George Reid to ask if she could have the desk and he agreed it was an appropriate gesture to gift the furniture to the veteran politician as an acknowledgement of her place in history.
The remainder of the furniture was donated to several Scottish museums for display purposes, to various Scottish universities and colleges for use in their study areas, as well as to a number of Scottish charitable organisations.
Background Note
• Full list of the organisations which received items of furniture.
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