Closure of Safer Communities Scotland Due to Funding Withdrawal

That the Parliament regrets the closure of Safer Communities Scotland after almost 30 years of service, following the withdrawal of Scottish Government funding; recognises that Scotland has lost its only national charity that was dedicated to coordinating community safety; acknowledges the organisation's work in bringing together local authorities, Police Scotland, public health bodies, charities and community partners to address community safety challenges across Scotland; notes comments by David Shea, chief officer of Safer Communities Scotland, that challenges, including violence, antisocial behaviour and emerging forms of criminality, require effective collaboration, coordination and shared expertise; thanks the organisation's staff and trustees for their service as well as their efforts to secure replacement funding, and calls on the Scottish Government to explain its decision to withdraw core funding from Safer Communities Scotland and to set out what arrangements, if any, it intends to put in place to maintain its national coordination, networking and sector-support functions.