Chamber and committees

That the Parliament recognises the achievements of the Common Ground Forum in addressing challenging conflicts and relationships in the deer management sector; welcomes that the forum has brought together stakeholders, including land managers and conservationists, to build consensus and common understanding; notes what it sees as the importance of effective deer management in achieving both nature restoration and the viability of rural businesses in many parts of the country, including in Ayrshire, and further notes the calls for all sides of the issues to continue to come together under the Common Ground Forum's approach.

That the Parliament notes the publication of the Scottish Environment LINK report, Invasive Non-native Species in Scotland: A Plan for Effective Action, which collates the thinking of Scotland’s environmental non-governmental organisations regarding invasive non-native species; understands that invasive non-native species constitute one of the five principal direct drivers of global biodiversity loss and that invasive non-native species are among the most significant pressures on Scotland’s biodiversity; recognises the reported significant negative impacts that invasive non-native species have for Scotland’s marine, terrestrial and freshwater environments, including in the Aberdeen South and North Kincardine constituency; highlights reports of the financial impact of invasive non-native and non-native species on Scotland’s economy; notes the view that it is necessary to effectively tackle invasive non-native species as a prerequisite to successful nature restoration in Scotland; believes that the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund is providing critical funds to initiate and develop projects, working with communities and volunteers to prevent the establishment, and control the spread, of invasive non-native species, and considers that this is allowing the recovery of biodiversity across Scotland, including river restoration projects addressing invasive non-native plants, controlling invasive rhododendron in Scotland’s rainforest and safeguarding internationally important seabird islands from non-native mammals through island biosecurity action.

That the Parliament congratulates One Parent Families Scotland on its remarkable 80th anniversary, and commends the charity for its tireless efforts in empowering single parents to reach their full potential; understands that the charity provides a range of essential support services, including family, employability, young parent support and welfare rights and financial advice at its five local family centres in Dundee, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow, and North Lanarkshire, as well as through a national lone parent helpline and digital support services; notes that the charity, originally founded in the 1940s as the Scottish Council for the Unmarried Mother and her Child, was established with the aim of keeping unmarried mothers and their children together; celebrates the charity's growth into what it sees as an impactful organisation, employing 97 members of staff, supporting over 8,000 parents, children and young people annually, and providing welfare rights and financial advice that it considers has benefited nearly 4,000 families, resulting in financial gains for families of over £1.6 million; recognises that one in four families with children in Scotland are single-parent families, with 90% of those being women; considers that, despite significant improvements since the 1940s, gender inequality remains a major cause of discrimination against many single mothers; understands that single parents face unique challenges, combining the roles of sole carer and provider without the ability to pool resources with another adult, often resulting in a higher likelihood of poverty compared to other households; applauds the charity for what it sees as its pivotal role in advocating for single parents across all levels of government, striving to achieve lasting solutions to the poverty that many face, and celebrates what it considers to be the resilience of single parents and the amazing job that they do as parents.

That the Parliament recognises what it sees as the fast evolution and potential of artificial intelligence (AI); understands that there have been many warnings from those most closely familiar with AI capabilities who say that the regulation of and limits on AI’s use is required to ensure safety; notes reports that Professor Geoffrey Hinton, known as the “godfather of AI”, has warned of the need for greater social security investment when AI is entrusted with roles currently carried out by salaried humans, and the need to consider the implications and threat to humanity of AI being given military roles and resources; further notes with concern the conclusions of researchers who report that AI is already acting independently in unexpected ways; acknowledges, for example, that a recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrated AI models beginning to exhibit deception, apparently becoming aware of and adapting to safety assessments of its operation by deceiving assessors and operating differently while under observation, and notes the belief that, in order to effectively regulate the operation of and reach of AI, including in the Highlands and Islands region, policymakers have a duty to seek to understand how it works, what the dangers are, and how to protect society and vulnerable individuals from harm.

That the Parliament commends the recent paper, Tackling Sibling Sexual Abuse in Scotland, published by the Cross Party Group on Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse; notes with concern the lack of Scotland-specific data regarding sibling sexual abuse (SSA); understands that SSA is the most common form of intra-familial child sexual abuse; acknowledges research that suggests that it is estimated that at least twice as many children are sexually abused by a child sibling than by a parent; recognises that many survivors who talk of their experiences of rape or sexual assault perpetrated by a sibling find that their abuse can be met by disbelief or minimisation by adults and professionals as "sexual experimentation" or "natural curiosity"; understands that SSA is less likely to be disclosed than other forms of sexual abuse, due to shame, fears of punishment or blame, or not being believed; further understands that the consequences of SSA may include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance and alcohol misuse, eating disorders and relationship difficulties throughout life; believes that there is credible evidence that SSA often goes unrecognised or is minimised by professionals, which it considers is adverse to the needs of survivors and their families; acknowledges what it considers the complex issue of SSA whereby perpetrators are often underage themselves and may be in need of additional support; notes the support for any measures to highlight the prevalence of sibling sexual abuse, its impact and what parents can do if they are concerned about sexual behaviour between siblings; further notes the belief that it is valuable to launch a reference group bringing together key agencies and those with lived experience to consolidate learning, identify best practices and steer future policy and practice so that scalable, proportionate and trauma-informed responses are available to address this issue, and notes the belief that it is beneficial to establish dedicated training courses for social workers and other safeguarding professionals, including those in the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency, specifically on disclosure and communicating with children when there are concerns about SSA.

That the Parliament congratulates the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) on celebrating the 200th anniversary of its formation in 1824, and on the remarkable achievements of the RNLI in saving over 144,000 lives throughout its history; recognises the bravery and commitment of RNLI personnel throughout the 238 lifeboat stations across the UK and Ireland, and the RNLI lifeguards on over 240 beaches, who watch over Scotland's coastal communities and are ready to help those in trouble at sea; remembers all those RNLI crew members who have been lost risking their lives to save the lives of others; acknowledges what it sees as the huge respect in which Scotland, as a maritime nation, holds the RNLI, nowhere more so than in communities across the Highlands and Islands, which have a strong relationship with the sea; further acknowledges the contribution of all those who help to support the work of the RNLI, from fundraisers to volunteers, and wishes the RNLI every success for the future as it continues with its vital mission of saving lives at sea.

That the Parliament notes that 12 March 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the official start of the 1984-85 miners’ strike; considers that this strike was, without parallel, the most significant industrial dispute since the 1926 general strike; believes that miners took action in defence of jobs, communities and a very way of life; considers that the full force of the state was deployed against the miners and their trade union, the National Union of Mineworkers, but that they stood steadfast for a full year; believes that the strike could not have endured without public support, including from women’s groups, the lesbian and gay community, trade unions and workers across the world; deplores what it sees as the injustices towards miners and their communities during and since the strike; notes the belief that there is continuing need for investment in mining communities, and further notes the call for a public inquiry into the policing of the strike.

That the Parliament recognises that 20 November 2024 is World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Day, with this year's theme being Know Your Lung Function; understands that the day takes place to raise awareness of COPD and how to spot the symptoms, which include shortness of breath, a persistent chesty cough with phlegm, frequent chest infections and persistent wheezing; further understands that this lung disease causes restricted airflow and breathing problems and that it is a condition that most commonly affects people who smoke or have smoked, those who have been exposed to dust fumes or chemicals in work, and those who had chest trouble or asthma in childhood; notes with concern that, currently, the condition is estimated to affect over 140,000 people in Scotland who have had a diagnosis and that tens of thousands are living without a proper diagnosis; understands the importance of the five fundamentals of COPD care, which are smoking cessation advice, flu and pneumococcal vaccines, access to pulmonary rehabilitation, co-development of a self-management plan and treatment for co-morbidities; welcomes the work of groups such as Asthma + Lung Scotland, which provides advice and support to people living with COPD, and commends community groups, such as the Clydebank Asbestos Group, which provide support to people living with asbestos-related illnesses, which can include COPD.

That the Parliament congratulates the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) on hosting a series of events at fire stations across Scotland as part of Macmillan Cancer Support's World's Biggest Coffee Morning; understands that the FBU members used these events to highlight the impact of fire contaminants on firefighters and research published in 2023, which suggested that the mortality rate for firefighters was 1.6 times higher than the general population, rates of prostate cancer was 3.8 times higher, leukaemia was 3.17 times higher, oesophageal cancer was 2.42 times higher and, in instances of cancer with an unknown origin, the rate was 6.37 times higher, and notes that coffee mornings took place at fire stations in Falkirk, Greenock, Inverness, Galashiels, Lochgelly and Govan, with over £3,000 raised for Macmillan Cancer Support.

That the Parliament congratulates the Cardenden Playpark Committee on the official opening of the Keirs Brae Playpark; recognises that the park is the result of months of hard work by the committee, supported by the generous efforts of the community and various organisations; recognises that, in March 2023, members of Cowdenbeath Area Committee committed £40,000 from the Community Recovery Fund and that the Playpark Committee, which is made up of dedicated residents, launched an inspiring campaign to raise additional funds to make the dream of a new playpark a reality; further recognises the generous donations received from the Cowdenbeath Community Recovery Fund, Foundation Scotland, Kingdom Housing Association, Ore Valley Housing Association, Westfield Community Fund, Fife Environmental Trust and the Scottish Government; welcomes the role that pupils at Cardenden Primary School and residents were encouraged to play in selecting the final design; notes that this is the second playpark opened by the Playpark Committee and Fife Council in Cardenden and that they are in the process of a public consultation on a third; wishes the children of Cardenden many years of fun enjoying the new Keirs Brae playpark, and looks forward to future development at Balgreggie Park.