A cross-party group chaired by MSP Pauline McNeill has called for the Scottish Executive to make a concerted effort to support Scotland’s thriving contemporary music industry by establishing a dedicated enterprise agency similar to that which exists in Wales.

As she launched the Scottish Parliament’s first ever debate covering pop, rock and indie music with a motion, supported by 35 MSP’s, entitled “Franz Ferdinand Rocks”, Ms McNeill said that “Scotland is taking its place in the world as a home for contemporary music, but unless we take a conscious decision to better support it, as an industry it will fade as quickly as it arrived.”

The music industry in Scotland is currently worth around £106m a year but has the potential for much more.

The hour-long session took place in the week that ten Scottish acts will appear at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, where the Glasgow quartet Franz Ferdinand won critical acclaim last year before going on to international stardom and two coveted Brit Awards.

Calling for a national "rock and pop policy" from the Scottish Executive to encourage young bands, Ms McNeill stated that it was time to “stop talking about the high arts and the low arts because there is nothing low about rock and pop."

The Culture Minister Patricia Ferguson agreed there was nothing low about rock.

She admitted to playing Franz Ferdinand loudly in her office. And she was proud that the 10 bands going to Texas had been given Arts Council grants. For those not familiar with these new popular music combos, might we suggest they watch out at next year's Brit Awards for Biffy Clyro, Dogs Die in Hot Cars, Jupiter and Teardrop, Sluts of Trust, Trashcan Sinatras, Dawn of the Replicants, The Rezillos, Hobotalk and Idlewild.

The comment of the day beyond any shadow of doubt goes to former Culture Minister Frank McAveety who said that one of the challenges of such a debate by MSPs was that it could be “as frightening as watching your dad dance at a family wedding”.

Indeed it could.