Chamber and committees

That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill.

That the Parliament notes with great sadness the passing of Martha McAllister, who was the former office manager to the late Christina McKelvie MSP and a longstanding public servant in South Lanarkshire; recognises Martha’s long and distinguished career, beginning with her early work supporting staff and public services before joining South Lanarkshire Council as a committee clerk shortly after the council was established; acknowledges her deep commitment to local government, local democracy and fair treatment for all, which are qualities that she demonstrated throughout her career and later through her service on the Prison Visiting Committee and as a member of the Employment Tribunal Service; notes the significant contribution that Martha made within the parliamentary environment, where, following her retirement from the council, she worked closely with Christina McKelvie MSP, providing dedicated support to constituents, advocating for those in need and helping many people navigate complex personal and social challenges; recognises the strong and valued friendships that she formed with many elected members and their staff during her time in Parliament; believes that Martha will be remembered with great affection, gratitude and respect by the many people whose lives she touched through her public service, kindness and compassion, and extends sincere condolences to her family, friends, former colleagues and all who mourn her loss.

That the Parliament condemns the reported proposal by Dumfries and Galloway Council to scrap free music tuition for pupils as part of its budget-saving measures; believes that thousands of young people across the region currently benefit from instrumental lessons, and that hundreds more remain on waiting lists; understands that the proposed removal of tuition could put up to 21 music instructor posts at risk and jeopardise the future of school bands, choirs and the ability of pupils to study National 5 and Higher Music; considers that music education plays a vital role in developing confidence, creativity and wellbeing; criticises any move that would undermine access to music for young people, particularly those who rely on free provision, and urges Dumfries and Galloway Council to reject the proposal and instead work to protect music services in schools.

That the Parliament congratulates the highly commended projects based in, or significantly benefiting, the Highlands and Islands, that were recognised at the Nature of Scotland Awards 2025, including Burray’s Beautiful Birds, The Magnificent Migration: A Wild Salmon’s Journey, Peatland ACTION – Growing Scotland’s Future Nature-friendly Workforce and Reducing the Impact of Predation with Diversionary-Feeding; acknowledges the commitment and creativity shown by the pupils, volunteers, scientists, land managers and partner organisations involved in these initiatives; congratulates all other winners and highly commended projects and individuals from across Scotland recognised at the 2025 Awards; recognises also the many projects that were shortlisted and those that were not in the room but are simply getting on with pouring their passion into caring for nature in their own communities; believes that everyone working with nature is, in their own way, a winner; recognises the Nature of Scotland Awards as a special celebration of the people, organisations and communities working in every corner of Scotland to help nature recover and regenerate, and wishes all those involved every success as they continue their vital work for Scotland’s wildlife and habitats.

That the Parliament congratulates Seonaidh Morrison and his hard-working team at the Barra Airport Cafe for winning the Morning Live Best Street Food, Takeaway or Small Eatery prize at the BBC Food and Farming Awards 2025; recognises that since reopening the cafe in December 2024, Seonaidh has been instrumental in the cafe’s growing success both as a tourist destination and a social hub for Barra residents, and wishes Seonaidh, his team and the cafe every success going forward.

That the Parliament congratulates Ullapool Sea Savers on winning the Youth Action Award at the Nature of Scotland Awards 2025; notes that its Love Our Seas! project, which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, is a youth-led initiative empowering young people in Ullapool to drive local marine conservation; recognises that through creativity, activism and community engagement, the group has inspired others to protect the ocean and safeguard the coastal environment; commends the way the project has nurtured the ideas, leadership and passion of local young people for the benefit of future generations, including its cigarette butt project, highlighting the impact of this litter on marine life, its bin clip project, to stop rubbish blowing or washing into the sea, and the Flush Responsibly campaign, encouraging people not to flush items that can harm wildlife, including unused medicine, and wishes Ullapool Sea Savers every success as its continues its vital work looking after the beaches and seas around Ullapool.

That the Parliament congratulates Affric Highlands on winning the Nature and Climate Action Award at the Nature of Scotland Awards 2025; notes its ambitious 30-year vision to unite communities, landowners and businesses in a shared mission to restore habitats across more than 200,000 hectares of the central Highlands; recognises that the project aims to create a climate-resilient, regenerating landscape, rich in biodiversity and opportunity, where people, nature and livelihoods support one another to thrive; welcomes its collaborative, landscape-scale approach, including work to restore woodlands, peatlands and river catchments, support for nature-friendly land management and strengthening of local economies, and wishes all involved every success as they continue to deliver what it sees as long-term benefits for communities and nature in the Highlands.

That the Parliament congratulates Green Shores on winning the Coast and Waters Award at the Nature of Scotland Awards 2025; recognises that saltmarshes are vital coastal habitats, valued as carbon stores, natural shoreline defences and rich refuges for specialist biodiversity; notes that Green Shores is restoring and reconnecting fragmented saltmarshes in the Dornoch Firth and the Tay and Eden estuaries in the Highlands and Fife, helping to secure the future of this rare habitat; further notes that this work both supports wildlife and strengthens coastal resilience to the impacts of climate change, and commends all those involved for their leadership in nature restoration and climate action along Scotland’s coasts.

That the Parliament recognises that the Royal College of Nursing is celebrating Nursing Support Workers’ Day on 23 November 2025; believes that every nursing support worker plays a core part in the day-to-day running of health and care services across all settings, supporting registered nurses to ensure that patients get the best possible care; welcomes the opportunity to highlight the essential, but sometimes unseen, care that nursing support workers deliver every day in Scotland; understands that "nursing support worker" is a varied term that encompasses many different job titles and roles, including healthcare support workers, carers and senior carers, care assistants and clinical support workers, and that nursing support work is as varied as it is essential; believes that, while nursing support workers play an essential role in delivering high-quality care and excellent outcomes for patients, their wide-ranging contribution can often be overlooked and misunderstood, and hopes that MSPs, health and care providers and the public will demonstrate their appreciation for the hard work and dedication of nursing support workers on 23 November.

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.