That the Parliament welcomes the £5.67 million investment in east Fife by SP Energy Networks, with support from Ofgem, to help trial what it sees as an innovative online smart energy project for the financial benefit of customers; understands that this could make more effective use of the electricity network, help the transition to a low-carbon economy and assist with meeting climate change targets; welcomes the partnership approach of the project, which also includes the University of St Andrews and Fife Council; believes that the east Fife area has a rich and diverse range of energy resources, including onshore and offshore wind and hydrogen storage, and looks forward to the results of the trial.
Current Status:
That the Parliament welcomes the £5.67 million investment in east Fife by SP Energy Networks, with support from Ofgem, to help trial what it sees as an innovative online smart energy project for the financial benefit of customers; understands that this could make more effective use of the electricity network, help the transition to a low-carbon economy and assist with meeting climate change targets; welcomes the partnership approach of the project, which also includes the University of St Andrews and Fife Council; believes that the east Fife area has a rich and diverse range of energy resources, including onshore and offshore wind and hydrogen storage, and looks forward to the results of the trial.
Supported by: Jenny Gilruth, Stuart McMillan, Richard Lyle, Alex Rowley, Kenneth Gibson, David Torrance, Mark Ruskell
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That the Parliament notes the concerns regarding the rising use of foodbanks in Scotland as expressed by Kirkcaldy Foodbank; understands that, since the foodbank opened in 2013, the number of food parcels distributed per month has increased from around 380 to 850; believes that this is estimated as the equivalent of feeding 1,732 people per month; recognises that it is believed that a third of those who receive support are children; acknowledges that, within the next year, the charity believes that it will have to raise and spend between £10,000 and £12,000 per month to keep up with demand; pays tribute to the board and volunteers that keep the organisation running, but considers that, unless there is a fundamental shift in dealing with poverty, hunger and the root causes behind the rise of foodbanks, demand on such services may continue to rise to an unsustainable level.
Current Status:
That the Parliament notes the concerns regarding the rising use of foodbanks in Scotland as expressed by Kirkcaldy Foodbank; understands that, since the foodbank opened in 2013, the number of food parcels distributed per month has increased from around 380 to 850; believes that this is estimated as the equivalent of feeding 1,732 people per month; recognises that it is believed that a third of those who receive support are children; acknowledges that, within the next year, the charity believes that it will have to raise and spend between £10,000 and £12,000 per month to keep up with demand; pays tribute to the board and volunteers that keep the organisation running, but considers that, unless there is a fundamental shift in dealing with poverty, hunger and the root causes behind the rise of foodbanks, demand on such services may continue to rise to an unsustainable level.
Supported by: Mark Ruskell, Monica Lennon, Neil Findlay, Alex Rowley
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That the Parliament expresses concern at the decision by Clackmannanshire Council to close Tullibody Civic Centre and remove staff from the facility on 30 September 2018; understands that this is despite ongoing discussions with Tullibody Community Development Trust (TCDT) regarding the community takeover of the building, which is used on a daily basis for a range of activities and hires, including by many long-term users; understands that the local authority commissioned an external company, NIFES, to undertake a survey of the building in 2014; believes that the subsequent report was highly critical of the council for neglecting the building and concluded that there was a need for an investment of £640,000 to carry out essential repairs and upgrades to bring it to an acceptable standard; believes however that the council has failed to carry out any of the report's major recommendations, maintaining the building on a "wind and watertight" basis only; commends TCDT on what it sees as its commitment and vision for trying to secure a long-term future for the civic centre and its efforts in trying to get the council to take responsibility for what it considers to be years of underinvestment by committing to carrying out the recommendations in the NIFES report in addition to carrying out any other further improvements that are now necessary; understands that Tullibody Healthy Living (THL) has also received notification of the removal of its core funding from the council; believes that this will result in the closure of services and job losses at what it considers to be a vital third sector organisation, and calls on the council to enter into meaningful engagement with TCDT and THL to ensure that the support is provided to avoid what it believes would be the devastating impact that the closure of either would have on the Tullibody community.
Current Status:
That the Parliament expresses concern at the decision by Clackmannanshire Council to close Tullibody Civic Centre and remove staff from the facility on 30 September 2018; understands that this is despite ongoing discussions with Tullibody Community Development Trust (TCDT) regarding the community takeover of the building, which is used on a daily basis for a range of activities and hires, including by many long-term users; understands that the local authority commissioned an external company, NIFES, to undertake a survey of the building in 2014; believes that the subsequent report was highly critical of the council for neglecting the building and concluded that there was a need for an investment of £640,000 to carry out essential repairs and upgrades to bring it to an acceptable standard; believes however that the council has failed to carry out any of the report's major recommendations, maintaining the building on a "wind and watertight" basis only; commends TCDT on what it sees as its commitment and vision for trying to secure a long-term future for the civic centre and its efforts in trying to get the council to take responsibility for what it considers to be years of underinvestment by committing to carrying out the recommendations in the NIFES report in addition to carrying out any other further improvements that are now necessary; understands that Tullibody Healthy Living (THL) has also received notification of the removal of its core funding from the council; believes that this will result in the closure of services and job losses at what it considers to be a vital third sector organisation, and calls on the council to enter into meaningful engagement with TCDT and THL to ensure that the support is provided to avoid what it believes would be the devastating impact that the closure of either would have on the Tullibody community.
Supported by: Mark Ruskell, Neil Findlay, Alex Rowley
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That the Parliament congratulates the nine newly-elected members, six of whom are women, of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which oversees the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, following elections on 12 June 2018; notes that, prior to these elections, there was only one woman among the 18 committee members; welcomes this increase, particularly in light of what it sees as the disproportionate prevalence and impact of disability on women and girls worldwide; commends the UK-based NGO, Sightsavers, on its #EqualUN campaign, which has been set up to highlight the need for better female representation of women on this and other UN bodies as part of its broader work to promote disability-inclusive development, and congratulates Sightsavers' advocacy adviser, Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame, who was the official nominee of Ghana, on being one of the six women elected.
Current Status:
That the Parliament congratulates the nine newly-elected members, six of whom are women, of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which oversees the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, following elections on 12 June 2018; notes that, prior to these elections, there was only one woman among the 18 committee members; welcomes this increase, particularly in light of what it sees as the disproportionate prevalence and impact of disability on women and girls worldwide; commends the UK-based NGO, Sightsavers, on its #EqualUN campaign, which has been set up to highlight the need for better female representation of women on this and other UN bodies as part of its broader work to promote disability-inclusive development, and congratulates Sightsavers' advocacy adviser, Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame, who was the official nominee of Ghana, on being one of the six women elected.
Supported by: Bill Kidd, Stewart Stevenson, David Torrance, Jackie Baillie, John Mason, Kezia Dugdale, Neil Findlay, Alex Rowley, Clare Adamson, Ivan McKee, John Finnie, Ash Denham, Monica Lennon
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That the Parliament congratulates Marilyn Livingstone on being appointed an MBE in The Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her services to Kirkcaldy; recognises her work within politics as an MSP from 1999 to 2011, and as a councillor for Kirkcaldy District Council and Fife Council; applauds her work as chairman of the Cottage Family Centre, director of the Adam Smith Global Foundation and member of Kirkcaldy‘s Ambitions Partnership; thanks her for her continued dedication to these organisations and Kirkcaldy as a whole, and wishes her all the best in the future.
Current Status:
That the Parliament congratulates Marilyn Livingstone on being appointed an MBE in The Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her services to Kirkcaldy; recognises her work within politics as an MSP from 1999 to 2011, and as a councillor for Kirkcaldy District Council and Fife Council; applauds her work as chairman of the Cottage Family Centre, director of the Adam Smith Global Foundation and member of Kirkcaldy‘s Ambitions Partnership; thanks her for her continued dedication to these organisations and Kirkcaldy as a whole, and wishes her all the best in the future.
Supported by: Claudia Beamish, James Kelly, Iain Gray, Colin Beattie, Murdo Fraser, Neil Findlay, Alexander Burnett, Colin Smyth, Lewis Macdonald
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That the Parliament notes the publication of the report, State of the World’s Birds 2018, which provides a comprehensive look at the health of bird populations; acknowledges that it concludes that one-in-eight species face extinction; notes that it identifies overfishing and climate change as affecting seabird species, particularly the Atlantic puffin and the black-legged kittiwake, which are both now considered “vulnerable” on the International Union of Conservation of Nature's Red List of imperilled species; considers that the decline in Scotland's puffin populations is a matter of concern; believes that action must be taken to restore numbers, and urges for continued efforts in Scotland to reduce the adverse effects of human activity on the wider environment to help address climate change, biodiversity and marine conservation.
Current Status:
That the Parliament notes the publication of the report, State of the World’s Birds 2018, which provides a comprehensive look at the health of bird populations; acknowledges that it concludes that one-in-eight species face extinction; notes that it identifies overfishing and climate change as affecting seabird species, particularly the Atlantic puffin and the black-legged kittiwake, which are both now considered “vulnerable” on the International Union of Conservation of Nature's Red List of imperilled species; considers that the decline in Scotland's puffin populations is a matter of concern; believes that action must be taken to restore numbers, and urges for continued efforts in Scotland to reduce the adverse effects of human activity on the wider environment to help address climate change, biodiversity and marine conservation.
Supported by: Iain Gray, Kenneth Gibson, John Mason, Mark Ruskell, Andy Wightman, Claudia Beamish, David Torrance, Richard Lochhead, Jenny Gilruth, Clare Adamson, Colin Smyth
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That the Parliament congratulates the Royal Lyceum Theatre on being awarded the 50/50 Applause Award, one of only two UK theatres to receive the accolade from the International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP); welcomes that the award was won for achieving gender parity in main stage playwrights for the 2017-18 season; notes that ICWP recognised a total of 62 theatres around the world from 103 nominations, including in Australia, Canada, Finland, Singapore, South Africa and the United States, with the Other Room in Cardiff being the UK's only other winner; considers that, while positive work is being undertaken to achieve equal gender representation within the arts and culture sector, more can still be done, and hopes that more theatres in Scotland are able to achieve gender parity in the near future.
Current Status:
That the Parliament congratulates the Royal Lyceum Theatre on being awarded the 50/50 Applause Award, one of only two UK theatres to receive the accolade from the International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP); welcomes that the award was won for achieving gender parity in main stage playwrights for the 2017-18 season; notes that ICWP recognised a total of 62 theatres around the world from 103 nominations, including in Australia, Canada, Finland, Singapore, South Africa and the United States, with the Other Room in Cardiff being the UK's only other winner; considers that, while positive work is being undertaken to achieve equal gender representation within the arts and culture sector, more can still be done, and hopes that more theatres in Scotland are able to achieve gender parity in the near future.
Supported by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, Rona Mackay, Andy Wightman, Bill Kidd, Stewart Stevenson, Ash Denham, Jackie Baillie, David Torrance, Jenny Gilruth, Clare Adamson
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That the Parliament notes the publication of Heritage: Cold Climate to Ice Age by the trade union, Prospect, which presents the findings of a survey of over 1,000 of its members; understands that the survey found that 82% of members believe that funding cuts are having an adverse effect on their employing organisation, and that these cuts have had an impact on pay and continue to undermine the ability of employers to recruit, retain and motivate staff; believes that members also reported an increase in workload, which adversely impacted on their work-life balance and increased stress; understands that concerns were also raised over Brexit and how this could exacerbate both funding and staffing problems; considers that, while the report is UK-wide, members in Scotland responded proportionately to the survey and shared similar concerns over investment in the sector and increasing pressures on staff, and welcomes the proposals set out in Prospect’s report to ensure that the heritage sector in Scotland can continue to prosper.
Current Status:
That the Parliament notes the publication of Heritage: Cold Climate to Ice Age by the trade union, Prospect, which presents the findings of a survey of over 1,000 of its members; understands that the survey found that 82% of members believe that funding cuts are having an adverse effect on their employing organisation, and that these cuts have had an impact on pay and continue to undermine the ability of employers to recruit, retain and motivate staff; believes that members also reported an increase in workload, which adversely impacted on their work-life balance and increased stress; understands that concerns were also raised over Brexit and how this could exacerbate both funding and staffing problems; considers that, while the report is UK-wide, members in Scotland responded proportionately to the survey and shared similar concerns over investment in the sector and increasing pressures on staff, and welcomes the proposals set out in Prospect’s report to ensure that the heritage sector in Scotland can continue to prosper.
Supported by: David Stewart, Iain Gray, Andy Wightman, Jenny Marra, Elaine Smith, Jackie Baillie, Neil Findlay, Alex Rowley, Colin Smyth, Daniel Johnson, James Kelly
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That the Parliament welcomes the recent interfaith statement signed by Scottish faith leaders and institutions calling for strong new legislation to tackle climate change; understands that an event will be held at Dynamic Earth to mark the statement on 18 April 2018, with Roman Catholic Archbishop Conti, Rt Rev Dr Derek Browning, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and Mr Ameed Versace from the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society; acknowledges the statement’s assertion that "caring for our common home is a moral responsibility"; notes what it sees as the important role of Scottish faith communities and faith-based organisations in campaigning for climate justice; recognises the devastating impact of climate change beyond Scotland’s borders where it believes the world’s most vulnerable communities are being pushed further into poverty, and recognises what it considers the urgent need for wealthier countries such as Scotland to make significant cuts in emissions in order to meet the commitments of the Paris Agreement.
Current Status:
That the Parliament welcomes the recent interfaith statement signed by Scottish faith leaders and institutions calling for strong new legislation to tackle climate change; understands that an event will be held at Dynamic Earth to mark the statement on 18 April 2018, with Roman Catholic Archbishop Conti, Rt Rev Dr Derek Browning, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and Mr Ameed Versace from the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society; acknowledges the statement’s assertion that "caring for our common home is a moral responsibility"; notes what it sees as the important role of Scottish faith communities and faith-based organisations in campaigning for climate justice; recognises the devastating impact of climate change beyond Scotland’s borders where it believes the world’s most vulnerable communities are being pushed further into poverty, and recognises what it considers the urgent need for wealthier countries such as Scotland to make significant cuts in emissions in order to meet the commitments of the Paris Agreement.
Supported by: Elaine Smith, Claudia Beamish, Ivan McKee, Ruth Maguire, Alex Rowley, Neil Findlay, John Mason, Jackie Baillie
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That the Parliament congratulates businesses in the Mid Scotland and Fife parliamentary region that are finalists at the 2018 Scottish Thistle Awards; notes that the national final takes place on 15 March at the EICC in Edinburgh; understands that awards are a celebration of people who are deemed the very best in Scottish tourism; notes that the Thistle Awards are led by a panel of industry experts from several organisations including VisitScotland, Aberdeen City and Shire Tourism Awards, Highlands & Islands Tourism Awards, the Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland, Scotland Food and Drink, Scottish Tourism Alliance, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, sportscotland and Wild Scotland, and extends its very best wishes to all of the nominees for the final and for continued success into the future;
Current Status:
That the Parliament congratulates businesses in the Mid Scotland and Fife parliamentary region that are finalists at the 2018 Scottish Thistle Awards; notes that the national final takes place on 15 March at the EICC in Edinburgh; understands that awards are a celebration of people who are deemed the very best in Scottish tourism; notes that the Thistle Awards are led by a panel of industry experts from several organisations including VisitScotland, Aberdeen City and Shire Tourism Awards, Highlands & Islands Tourism Awards, the Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland, Scotland Food and Drink, Scottish Tourism Alliance, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, sportscotland and Wild Scotland, and extends its very best wishes to all of the nominees for the final and for continued success into the future;
Supported by: Mark Ruskell, Ruth Maguire, Monica Lennon, David Torrance, Bill Kidd, Clare Adamson
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