Chamber and committees

That the Parliament, for the purposes of any Act of the Scottish Parliament resulting from the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill, agrees to—

(a) any expenditure of a kind referred to in Rule 9.12.3A of the Parliament’s Standing Orders arising in consequence of the Act, and

(b) any charge or payment in relation to which Rule 9.12.4 of the Parliament’s Standing Orders applies arising in consequence of the Act.

That the Parliament is deeply concerned that Falkirk Council has launched a consultation on reducing the hours within the school week; believes passionately that education is one of the greatest tools to aid social mobility; notes the belief that maximising the amount of time that children spend in the classroom should be supported, especially for those who lost time in the classroom during the COVID-19 pandemic; considers that technology has a role to play in supporting teachers in the classroom but notes the view that the proposals put forward by Falkirk Council are a vision where technology replaces teachers in the classroom, and notes the reported fears regarding the potential impact that a reduction in the school week will have on families, employment and family income.

That the Parliament congratulates the Perle Hotels Group on winning The King's Awards for Enterprise; recognises the dedication and commitment of Perle’s management and staff in providing exceptional services to guests; further recognises the unprecedented challenges that the hospitality sector has faced over the last few years; commends the Perle Hotels Group in upholding the highest standards of hospitality across the Highlands and Islands, and wishes it continued success in the future.

That the Parliament recognises the contributions of Newarthill volunteer, Mary Brown, in the local community; commends Mary's tenacity and support for her community, where she has spent 35 years teaching local children and has continued to support the school community after her retirement; understands that she has also been very active in her church, where she is one of the elders and that she taught Sunday School for over five decades, as well as volunteering at, and leading, the P1 to P3 group of the local Boys' Brigade; believes that she was instrumental in organising and ensuring that local children attended gala days, along with volunteering at a local mental health support group for the last eight years where, it understands, she provided hope for the community through sharing sunshine stories and songs; understands that she also contributed to the work of other local organisations, before being diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, and commends Mary for all of her endeavours, which have made a difference in the community that she loves so dearly.

That the Parliament congratulates the Dundee-Nablus Twinning Association on the exhibition, Nablus and Dundee: 44 Years of Twinning, held at Dundee Central Library between 9 and 17 May 2024; notes that the exhibition includes information about the history, geography and culture of Nablus, the Nakba and consequent refugee camps, the many visits and delegations between the two cities, and the Dundee-Nablus Twinning Association’s current campaigns, including those to support student nurses and midwives and to plant olive trees in the region; applauds the solidarity event held at the library on 14 May by the Dundee-Nablus Twinning Association and Arts Workers for Palestine Dundee, at which participants shared readings of and reflections on Palestinian poetry; recalls that, in 1980, Dundee was the first city in the world to twin with a city in occupied Palestine; congratulates the Association and the people of Nablus and Dundee on maintaining what it sees as this active and positive relationship over the subsequent 44 years, building friendship, understanding and collaboration on many projects; considers that such relationships are especially important at this time, when the people of Palestine are experiencing what it considers to be unconscionable violence and deprivation, and expresses its best wishes and gratitude to the Association for its continued work.

That the Parliament congratulates the talented 15-year-old Faifley teenager, Tiana Bainbridge, on her TV debut in the reboot of a well-known Scottish drama; understands that Tiana will feature in the brand new series of Rebus, which will launch on BBC Scotland on 17 May 2024; notes that Rebus is a detective drama based on Scottish writer Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus series of novels, which was first adapted into a series for ITV in 2000; understands that Tiana has been acting since she started primary school, and that she is currently a pupil at St Peter the Apostle High School in Clydebank and a student of the Inter Performing Arts School in Glasgow; acknowledges her previous work on stage, starring in a production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at The King's Theatre, and wishes her every success in her career.

That the Parliament congratulates Friends of Crookston Castle on hosting its first AGM on 15 May 2024; recognises the vision, commitment and effort it takes to establish a new community group; thanks Historic Environment Scotland for its engagement with Friends of Crookston Castle to provide support where possible, and believes that Crookston Castle should be put on the map to preserve and celebrate the history with the local community and tourists from Glasgow and beyond.

That the Parliament recognises what it considers to be the impact that the Macmillan Improving the Cancer Journey (ICJ) service has had on the lives of people affected by cancer in Glasgow over the past decade; understands that the pioneering service was set up in 2014 and has been instrumental in providing people affected by cancer with access to crucial emotional, physical, practical, housing and financial support; considers that the service was the first of its kind in the UK, with social care services in Glasgow collaborating closely with the NHS to ensure comprehensive wraparound support; understands that the establishment of the ICJ service was prompted by growing concerns that many people were struggling to access support for the non-clinical effects of cancer; further understands that the service has addressed a wide range of challenges for over 16,000 people and has facilitated £117 million in financial gains for people with cancer; acknowledges that the success of this project has led Macmillan and the Scottish Government to invest £18 million to introduce similar services across Scotland, and welcomes that, by the end of 2024, there will be an Improving the Cancer Journey service available to anyone affected by cancer in Scotland.

That the Parliament congratulates Cowdenbeath Civic Week on recently being successfully awarded £2,500 from the 4Winds charity; understands that the funding boost will be used towards meeting the cost of the upcoming local community gala, which is set to be held on 9 June 2024; recognises that the funding from 4Winds was part of the charity's March 2024 funding distribution, where over £26,000 was awarded to 14 local good causes; commends the volunteers of both Cowdenbeath Civic Week and 4Winds for giving up their time for the local community, and wishes Cowdenbeath Civic Week all the best as it gears up for this year's gala day.

That the Parliament congratulates Lumphinnans Community Bowling Club on recently being successfully awarded £7,000 from the 4Winds charity; understands that the funding boost will be used towards meeting the cost of a new ride-on mower, helping to keep the green in top condition throughout the 2024 season and beyond; recognises that the funding from 4Winds was part of the charity's March 2024 funding distribution, where over £26,000 was awarded to 14 local good causes; commends the volunteers of both Lumphinnans Community Bowling Club and 4Winds for giving up their time for the local community, and wishes all members of the bowling club all the best for the 2024 season.