Chamber and committees

As an amendment to motion S6M-17648 in the name of Gillian Martin (Growing Community-owned Energy in Scotland), insert at end "; welcomes the £4 million in funding from Great British Energy to fund half of the Community Energy Generation Growth Fund; believes that, as well as community groups, councils and public sector organisations are well placed to host, or collaborate on, community renewables projects, community heat projects, municipal ownership and co-operative models; further believes that land reform should mean the chance for communities to be able to have priority access to land when it becomes available; notes that there are a range of different technologies that could be utilised for community-owned energy projects, including wind, solar and hydro schemes among others, in both urban and rural Scotland; acknowledges that the Scottish Government could help to grow the sector by opening up the government electricity supply contract to community generators, which are currently denied access to the market, whether directly through conditions of tender or indirectly through procurement; calls on public bodies to create space for community ownership where possible by making public land and buildings available to community energy groups, and calls on the Scottish Government to work productively with the UK Government to create further opportunities for communities to own a meaningful stake in energy infrastructure through partnering with Great British Energy."

As an amendment to motion S6M-17648 in the name of Gillian Martin (Growing Community-owned Energy in Scotland), insert at end "; acknowledges that any significant increase in public, community and shared ownership of energy infrastructure will require new and increased forms of support from the Scottish Government, including making public land available for energy projects and diversifying the ownership of existing energy assets; considers that community ownership of heat networks offers further opportunities to maximise the social, economic and environmental benefit of heat decarbonisation, and calls on the Scottish Government to build on its relationship with Denmark to draw on its experience of both shared ownership of renewables and developing heat networks built and operated on a not-for-profit basis."

That the Parliament acknowledges the work carried out by Scotland’s teachers in schools across the country and commends them for all they do; recognises that the subjects that they teach provide important foundations for knowledge and skills in sectors that can be vital for Scotland’s economy; notes with concern, however, that there has been a sharp decline in the number of teachers in key subjects, such as maths, physics and modern languages, and that targets to train teachers in STEM subjects have been continuously missed; believes that, should these targets continue to be missed, and the decline in the number of teachers continues, it will add to the strain on the teaching workforce, Scottish education will suffer and Scotland's ability to compete globally in important sectors will be impacted; further believes that a lack of permanent contracts for teachers will further compound issues with recruitment and training; notes that there are also high levels of unemployment and underemployment of primary teachers and teachers for some secondary school subjects; further notes the failure of the Scottish Government to make sufficient progress on its 2021 commitment to recruit 3,500 more teachers, which is set to be missed by the end of the current parliamentary session in 2026, and calls, therefore, on the Scottish Government to develop a new, urgent plan for the teaching workforce, working with stakeholders.

That the Parliament recognises the scale of the mental health emergency in Scotland; notes with concern the lack of adequate provision for neurodevelopmental conditions, particularly in the context of a sharp rise in demand for neurodiversity assessments and treatment for adults and children following the COVID-19 pandemic; further notes the additional pressure on services caused by the global shortage of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication, which has led to the closure of titration clinics in some areas and significantly impacted waiting times and access to care; recognises the profound distress and disruption this causes for individuals and families who are left without timely diagnosis or support; acknowledges the knock-on effects on child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), as well as the wider economic consequences of rising levels of economic inactivity linked to unmet mental health needs; notes the pressure that this puts on GPs and primary care; further notes with concern the widespread removal of shared care arrangements where patients who obtained a private diagnosis could receive ongoing care and medication through the Scottish NHS; expresses disappointment at the Scottish Government’s failure to meet its commitment to allocate 10% of NHS spending to mental health and 1% to CAMHS; calls on the Scottish Government to work urgently with NHS boards and local authorities to devise a robust protocol on the use of shared care arrangements to allow for their use where appropriate, and further calls on the Scottish Government to create neurodevelopmental pathways and stepped care models, as recommended by the National Autism Implementation Team and Royal College of Psychiatrists in the 2021 National Clinical ADHD Pathway Feasibility Study.

As an amendment to motion S6M-17648 in the name of Gillian Martin (Growing Community-owned Energy in Scotland), insert at end “; recognises that community consent needs to be at the heart of energy production; notes with concern that pylons and other electricity infrastructure are increasingly being built without the support of residents, and calls on the Scottish Government to give these communities more say over local energy production.”

That the Parliament believes that there is a lack of comprehensive, centrally collected data by the Scottish Government across key devolved policy areas, in particular health, education and social security; considers that a lack of basic data hinders transparency and undermines the ability for MSPs to scrutinise policy and hold the Scottish Government to account; believes that a lack of data also limits the ability for evidence-based policy-making, and notes the calls for the Scottish Government to establish a coordinated framework for the collection, standardisation and publication of data, and to ensure that it is timely, consistent and publicly accessible, to inform decision-making and enhance public trust and confidence, including in the Central Scotland region. 

That the Parliament congratulates the P6 students at St Boswells Primary School on reaching the final of the Euroquiz 2025, which will take place on 9 June from 1.00 pm to 4.00 pm at McEwan Hall, Edinburgh; recognises the dedication, perseverance, and passion of the P6 pupils who have worked tirelessly, both in school and at home, to prepare for this event, using a wide range of resources including EU websites, books, and language apps like Duolingo to expand their understanding of European cultures and history; acknowledges what it sees as the importance of the Euroquiz in promoting cross-cultural understanding, collaboration, and learning among young people across Scotland; applauds the teachers, parents, and organisers for their ongoing support and encouragement, and wishes all the participants the very best of luck as they represent their schools and local authorities in this prestigious competition, which fosters a deeper appreciation of Europe’s diverse cultures.

That the Parliament congratulates researchers at the University of Dundee’s MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC-PPU) and the School of Medicine on a significant breakthrough in Parkinson’s disease research; understands that the team, supported by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust and EMBO, identified a new mechanism involving the HRI enzyme that could prevent the build-up of damaged mitochondria in brain cells, a major cause of Parkinson’s-related neurodegeneration; further understands that this research builds on more than two decades of work on the PINK1 and Parkin genes and has uncovered a promising therapeutic strategy that may enhance mitochondrial repair and protect against brain cell loss; welcomes reports that drugs, such as ISRIB, previously developed for other conditions, could be rapidly repurposed for clinical trials in Parkinson’s; acknowledges the leadership of Professor Miratul Muqit and the contribution of Dr Ian Ganley, Dr Adrien Rousseau and Dr Glenn Masson, and commends the University of Dundee for what it sees as its continued excellence in pioneering medical research, which, it believes, has the potential to transform the lives of those living with Parkinson’s and related brain disorders.

That the Parliament notes with disappointment the recent notice of intention of the Scottish Government reporter, which, it considers, would overturn the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park board’s unanimous decision to refuse planning permission for Flamingo Land’s mega-resort proposals, an application which, it believes, would be destructive to the world-famous local environment at Loch Lomond; understands that the plans were opposed by over 155,000 members of the public, as well as Woodland Trust Scotland, Ramblers Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland, local community councils and SEPA; further understands that national park planning officials recommended that the application be rejected, and that the recommendation was unanimously supported by the national park board; agrees with the views expressed by objectors that the development would pose an unacceptable risk to nature, biodiversity and local businesses; further agrees with the SEPA assessment, and believes that the development is incompatible with flooding policies, as set out in the fourth National Planning Framework; believes that the Scottish Ministers should take a proactive approach to a planning application with what it sees as such significant public interest, and demands that ministers use their powers under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 to recall the appeal and reject this application.

That the Parliament congratulates Bunessan-born fisherman, Darren Clark, on being awarded the prestigious Young Fisherman of the Year Award at the Fishing News Awards in Aberdeen on 7 May 2025; understands that Darren’s journey in the fishing industry began at the age of 12 when he started creel fishing and assisting trawlers at night; notes that Darren, now 28 years old, has built a successful business based in Dunbeg, managing four boats and employing 11 people; believes that his determination and hardworking nature were pivotal in his achievement of this award; recognises that Darren’s success has been driven by his ambition, from skippering the Kyrene to purchasing his first trawler, The Islander, at a young age; acknowledges the support of Darren’s colleagues and family, who cheered him on during the award ceremony, and wishes Darren continued success in his career, looking forward to the future of his fishing business.