Chamber and committees

That the Finance and Public Administration Committee recommends that the Companies Act 2006 (Scottish public sector companies to be audited by the Auditor General for Scotland) Order 2026 [draft] be approved.

That the Education, Children and Young People Committee recommends that the Education (Scotland) Act 2025 (Consequential Provisions) Regulations 2026 [draft] be approved.

That the Parliament welcomes the establishment of the Women’s Sports Union, which is a not-for-profit organisation launched and led by Olympic medallist Sharron Davies MBE alongside Tracy Edwards MBE; notes that it focuses on fair and safe sport for women and girls, championing the right of every biological female to participate in sports regardless of age, race, ability or background; recognises that the core mission of the Women’s Sports Union is to protect and grow spaces where women and girls are seen, heard, supported, celebrated and given their sex-based rights to equal opportunity while also seeking to restore, strengthen and future-proof single-sex sports categories at all levels, and grow and cultivate better sporting opportunities for all females of all ages; understands that the Women’s Sports Union is supported by a coalition of respected sportspeople, legal experts and policymakers, and calls on all the sport bodies to abide by the mission and the principles of the Women’s Sports Union.

That the Parliament congratulates the law firm, Murray Beith Murray LLP, which is based in Edinburgh, on marking its 175th anniversary; notes the partnership’s historic links to literary figures, including Sir Walter Scott, who wrote a number of the Waverley novels at 39 Castle Street in the city, which became the offices of the firm until its move to 3 Glenfinlas Street in 2009; commends the practice on its ongoing commitment and service to its clients, and wishes Murray Beith Murray, its eight partners and almost 70 staff, well as the business transitions to a limited liability partnership (LLP) and publishes its accounts for the first time since its establishment in 1849, as was recently highlighted in The Scotsman.

That the Parliament congratulates the men’s Scottish National Football Team on securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup; notes that qualification was secured by finishing top of Group C in the UEFA qualification competition, after beating Denmark 4-2 at Hampden Park on 18 November 2025, with the final goal being scored by former Aberdeen FC player, Kenny McLean; understands that this will be the first time the team has qualified for the World Cup since 1998; believes that, with the tournament being hosted in North America, measures should be taken to ensure that as many fans as possible in Scotland are able to maximise their enjoyment of Scotland’s games throughout the tournament, such as fan parks and extended hours for licensed venues for games held outwith the usual licensing hours; recognises the huge achievement that this has been for Steve Clarke and his players; looks forward to a summer of excitement for Scotland fans next year, and hopes to see the team go further than any previous Scotland football team has before.

That the Education, Children and Young People Committee recommends that the Official Statistics (Scotland) Amendment Order 2026 [draft] be approved.

That the Parliament congratulates Bobby White on his upcoming participation in the World Marathon Challenge in January 2026, which is an extraordinary and gruelling endurance event that involves completing seven marathons across seven continents in seven days, starting in Antarctica and ending in the United States; notes that Bobby will be raising funds for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity in memory of his younger brother, Anton Rogan White, who tragically passed away at the age of 15 from a heart condition; understands that Bobby’s family have dedicated more than two decades to fundraising in Anton’s memory, raising over £75,000 to date; recognises their remarkable commitment and generosity in supporting families in need; acknowledges that, during Anton’s time in hospital, the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity provided essential support to the family at a very difficult time; recognises the vital role that such charities play in assisting children and their families across Scotland; notes that Bobby has expressed that his participation in this challenge is motivated by a desire to honour Anton’s life, to support other families experiencing unimaginable challenges, and to give back to a charity that made a real difference when it was needed most; recognises the ambition of Bobby and his family to surpass the £100,000 fundraising milestone with this challenge, which will directly help countless families and children receiving care in Scotland’s busiest children’s hospital, and commends Bobby’s extraordinary determination, endurance and selflessness in undertaking such a demanding physical and logistical challenge for such a worthy cause.

That the Parliament congratulates the City of Edinburgh Council on being awarded the David Kennedy Excellent People Award at the annual COSLA Awards for its Construction Skills pathways work; recognises that the courses are matched to local skills shortages, strengthening the efforts to build more homes; celebrates that, between 2024 and 2025, the number of National Progression Awards achieved by City of Edinburgh school leavers more than doubled, from 900 to 1944, reflecting the growing popularity of the courses; commends the local authority for providing school leavers with what it sees as invaluable training, which can lead to well-paid employment; understands that the council has established partnerships with key educational institutions, such as Edinburgh College, and businesses, including Balfour Beatty, Compass Roofing and Kier Construction, to enable school-leavers to get on to construction courses; thanks Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish Traditional Building Forum for their support, and looks forward to seeing the Construction Skills pathways work go from strength to strength.

That the Parliament congratulates the City of Edinburgh Council on being awarded the David Kennedy Excellent People Award at the annual COSLA Awards for its Construction Skills pathways work at 2025’s COSLA Annual Conference; notes that the Construction Skills pathways project was recognised for its work in building brighter futures for young people through improving outcomes for learners by getting more school leavers into jobs within the construction industry; believes this not only improves attainment through relevant and engaging courses but also responds to labour market needs; understands that the Construction Skills pathways is being delivered across schools in Edinburgh, including Currie Community High School and Wester Hailes High School in the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency, and acknowledges that the delivery of the pathways has been achieved through partnership working with the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, Historic Environment Scotland, Scottish Traditional Building Forum, Kier Construction, Balfour Beatty and Edinburgh College.

That the Parliament congratulates The Free Company of Balerno on winning the Farming For The Future Award at the BBC Food And Farming Awards 2025, which were held in Bristol on 18 November; understands that it is BBC audience members who nominate individuals and businesses for these awards, and that, since their launch in 2000, their mission, which has remained unchanged to this day, has been to honour those who have done most to promote the cause of good food, with finalists being rigorously judged by leading food experts; recognises that The Free Company, which was founded in 2016, comprises brothers Charlie and Angus Buchanan-Smith who have transformed their family’s struggling dairy into a regenerative, organic, low input, mixed farm in the Pentland Hills, integrating pigs, sheep and cattle, a farm to table restaurant, veg and meat boxes and public events inviting visitors to walk the land and ask questions; notes that the brothers were commended on their vision of showcasing their restaurant at the heart of the business whilst also tapping into other enterprises that feed into the restaurant or farm with everything being done in a thoughtful, regenerative and low waste model, and wishes The Free Company continued success and growth in the future.