Chamber and committees

That the Parliament congratulates five students from the West Scotland region on being selected for Youth Football Scotland's U18s squad for this year's Centenary Shield; notes that Leo Easdon and Remo Margiotta, of Turnbull High Bishopbriggs, Ben Nelson, of Bishopbriggs Academy, Mitchell Spence, of Douglas Academy in Milngavie, and Sam Robinson, of Johnstone High School, have all been successful; understands that the international tournament is an annual event for U18 schoolboys, with teams from all home nations, with Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland all participating; acknowledges that the competition was established in 1973 to celebrate the Scottish Football Association's centenary, and features a round-robin format; notes that Scotland won it in 2025, and wishes the Scotland team every success in retaining the shield.

That the Parliament congratulates Braes High School on placing in the top 10 in Scotland in the CyberFirst Girls Competition; recognises that CyberFirst Girls Competition is a prestigious national award for S2 girls that aims to inspire those interested in technology to pursue a career in cyber security; further recognises that the competition is a team event that allows participants to tackle challenges in areas such as cryptography, logic, artificial intelligence and networking; acknowledges that as well as covering subjects which are consistent with the Curriculum for Excellence Computer Science syllabus, the competition contains some advanced cyber topics to stretch the lateral thinking and additional cyber knowledge of the teams; congratulates the students of Braes High School on this outstanding achievement, and wishes them the very best in their future studies.

That the Parliament congratulates Ben Lawrence on receiving the inaugural Charlie Malone Prize from Abertay University; notes that the award was named after Dundee City Councillor Charlie Malone, who was a former lecturer at the institution and passed away in 2024; believes that Charlie Malone was well known locally as a campaigner for the community he served; understands that Ben received the award for outstanding positive impact in the local community; further understands that Ben is a recent LLB Law graduate from Abertay University who served as director of TayPer, a student-led organisation that aims to improve access to legal support within the community; recognises that Abertay University continues to attract and educate individuals with a community-focused worldview, and wishes Ben every success following his graduation from Abertay University.

That the Parliament notes the publication of the academic report, Food Insecurity in Remote Rural Communities: The Lived Experience of Older Adults, which explores older adults’ lived experiences of the food environment in remote, rural Highland communities; acknowledges the research findings that remote rural older adults face high prices, limited food choice, transport challenges, disruption to long food supply chains and social isolation; recognises the strength of local community networks, including lunch clubs, local hubs and shared online shopping arrangements, in improving food access and social connection; welcomes the contribution of volunteers, third sector organisations, community food initiatives and local retailers in sustaining these networks, and calls on the Scottish Government to work with local authorities, NHS boards, community organisations and the retail sector to progress the policy recommendations contained in the report.

That the Parliament congratulates Mary Watt on her contribution to the British Red Cross Shop in Banchory; notes that Mary, at 87 years old, has volunteered for 26 years, regularly working and stepping in whenever needed; acknowledges her role in mentoring volunteers and supporting the day-to-day running of the shop; recognises that Mary has been a valued member of the team and a familiar face to customers; wishes her well in her retirement, and thanks her for her years of dedicated service to the community.

That the Parliament congratulates Sunamp Ltd, the East Lothian-based heat battery and thermal energy storage innovator, on being named a Business Innovation Award winner by the Institute of Physics in 2025 in recognition of its development of groundbreaking compact thermal storage technology that significantly enhances heat transfer efficiency and energy storage for high flow rate hot water applications; notes the importance of Sunamp’s pioneering latent heat battery technology, which uses advanced phase change materials to store and release thermal energy in a more compact and efficient form compared with conventional hot water cylinders, supporting energy efficiency and net-zero heating solutions; understands that this achievement reflects Scotland’s growing strength in clean tech innovation, advanced manufacturing and physics-based engineering; recognises the contribution of Sunamp’s skilled workforce and research partnerships to Scotland’s economy and climate ambitions, and wishes the company continuing success in growing its global impact and advancing sustainable energy technology.

That the Parliament celebrates 50 years of Befriend a Child; notes that, since 1975, the organisation, which is based in Aberdeen city centre, has been dedicated to supporting children and young people across Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire who are growing up in difficult life circumstances, through befriending, mentoring, family support and youth club programmes; understands that Befriend a Child has been celebrating its Golden Anniversary throughout 2025 with numerous events, including the Barbie Boozy Brunch fundraiser, a civic reception at Aberdeen Town House, a Golden Anniversary Ball and the 50th Birthday Summer Party; believes that the organisation’s work has helped countless numbers of children and young people reach their full potential throughout its 50 years of operation; thanks all the staff and volunteers, past and present, for all their hard work and dedication, and wishes the organisation well with all its future endeavours.

That the Parliament congratulates Ann Roy on winning the Technical Official of the Year category at sportscotland’s Scottish Sports Awards 2025; understands that Ann has made an outstanding contribution to sailing in Scotland and that she is Scotland’s only female national race officer; notes that in the 2024-25 season alone, Ann officiated at eight major events, including the RYA Scotland Winter Championships, Topper Nationals, Flying Fifteen Nationals, 49er Nationals, and the RYA Youth National Championships, and that her efforts helped deliver over 180 races, involving more than 700 boats and boards and over 650 sailors; recognises the dedication that Ann displays, regularly volunteering her time at RYAS regattas, helping to create a high-quality environment for developing athletes; understands that her involvement provides young sailors with exposure to world-class race management; celebrates Ann as a role model and mentor for many in the sport, and that she aspires to become Scotland’s first international race officer; applauds Ann on her recent award and achievement, and wishes her plain sailing in the future.

That the Parliament congratulates Fin Graham on winning the Para Athlete of the Year category at sportscotland’s Scottish Sport Awards 2025; recognises Fin’s many fantastic achievements in cycling, including winning one gold and one silver medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, and two silver medals at the Tokyo 2020 Games, as well as winning eight world titles; understands that Fin, who is from Strathpeffer, fell in love with cycling at the age of four, that he began competing in mountain biking three years later and, with the help of the Great Britain Cycling Team development programme, has gone from strength to strength ever since; acknowledges that the past 18 months have been particularly successful for the 26-year-old athlete, with his first Paralympic title in the C3 Road Race, a silver medal in the C3 Individual Pursuit, becoming the first para-athlete in history to win a fourth consecutive C3 road race world title, and more medals at the 2025 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro; celebrates that Fin was also appointed an MBE in the 2025 New Year Honours list for services to cycling, and wishes Fin the very best of luck as he prepares for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2026.

That the Parliament warmly welcomes the qualification of the Scotland men’s national football team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup; congratulates the entire squad on its achievement and places on record its particular appreciation for head coach, Steve Clarke, who becomes the first manager in Scotland’s history to lead the men’s national team to three consecutive major international tournaments; expresses deep concern regarding several issues surrounding the 2026 tournament; condemns the creation of the FIFA Peace Prize and its award to US President, Donald Trump; notes that this decision has reportedly prompted public criticism and at least one formal complaint alleging a breach of FIFA’s political neutrality obligations; expresses disappointment at the SFA’s decision to appoint Barrhead Travel as its official travel partner, noting reports from 2014 that senior management at the company attempted to politically influence staff against voting for Scottish independence; notes with concern what it sees as the excessively high pricing of match tickets and associated travel costs; is of the view that it will prevent many loyal Scotland supporters of ordinary means from attending, while enabling those with significant disposable wealth who, it believes, should be contributing more to Scottish society rather than prioritising luxury trips; expresses concern regarding the mandatory water breaks introduced during matches, which have been implemented regardless of actual weather conditions and have reportedly  been scheduled to maximise opportunities for advertisers to secure broadcast slots, and calls on FIFA, the SFA and all relevant authorities, to reflect on these concerns and to ensure that future tournaments are governed with greater integrity, transparency and affordability for supporters.