Chamber and committees

That the Parliament recognises 7 October 2026 as the third anniversary of the barbaric terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas against Israel on 7 October 2023; remembers with sorrow the approximately 1,200 people murdered in the attacks, including babies, children, women, and older and young people attending the Nova music festival; recognises that 7 October was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust and believes that the massacre was an attack not only on individual Israelis, but on the State of Israel and the Jewish people’s right to live in security and freedom; condemns Hamas unequivocally as a proscribed terrorist organisation and rejects any attempt to justify, minimise or celebrate its atrocities; recognises the State of Israel as the national home of the Jewish people and affirms what it believes to be the Jewish people’s fundamental and historic right to national self-determination in their ancestral homeland; supports Israel’s right to exist as a sovereign, democratic and secure Jewish state and what it considers to be its right, like every other nation state, to defend its citizens against terrorism; remembers all who were taken hostage on 7 October and calls for the continued protection and dignity of every hostage and for the return of the remains of those who were murdered in captivity; condemns what it sees as the rise in antisemitism witnessed internationally since the attacks and expresses solidarity with Scotland’s Jewish community, affirming that Jewish people should be able to live openly and safely in Scotland without intimidation, hatred or fear; believes that denying Israel’s right to exist, or applying double standards to the Jewish state must not be permitted to become accepted forms of antisemitism; rejects calls for the dismantling or destruction of the State of Israel; supports a future in which Israelis can live in peace, security and prosperity, and calls on the Scottish Government to continue to stand firmly against antisemitism, terrorism and to reaffirm Scotland’s solidarity with the people of Israel and Jewish communities in Scotland and around the world. 

That the Parliament recognises the remarkable contribution of Douglas (Dougie) Wilkie to youth football and young people over more than five decades; notes that Dougie began his footballing journey as a young player with Queen’s Park before signing for Dundee United, with his playing career tragically brought to an end following a train crash which left him paralysed; recognises that, rather than allowing this to end his involvement in football, Dougie continued to dedicate himself to the game and, alongside his wife Maureen, moved to New York where he began coaching children in Staten Island; notes that, following their return to Scotland, Dougie and Maureen established Mearns United in the early 1990s, providing local children with the opportunity to play, learn and develop through football; recognises Dougie’s commitment to developing technically gifted young footballers, with an emphasis on bravery in possession, playing football on the ground and prioritising development over winning; further recognises that, over five decades, he has coached thousands of young people across Scotland and internationally, including children from deprived communities, young disabled people and families from a wide range of backgrounds; celebrates the role that football has played in providing young people with confidence, friendships, discipline, belonging and opportunities; recognises that Dougie inspired his sons, Ryan and Kyle, to pursue professional football careers and that his footballing legacy subsequently developed into The W Academy, with the “W” representing the Wilkie family and the values of resilience, courage, family and development; notes that The W Academy now works with more than 600 young players every week from its football facility in Glasgow, with more than 130 players progressing into professional football academies; congratulates Dougie on recently celebrating his 70th birthday and recognises that he remains actively involved in The W Academy and committed to supporting the development of young players, and commends Dougie for a lifetime of service to young people and football and for demonstrating, through his own remarkable journey, that disability need not limit a person’s ability to inspire, contribute and create opportunities for others.

That the Parliament congratulates Highland Spring on its record sales numbers in 2025; acknowledges that the Blackford-based bottled water company is the UK’s largest and posted revenues of £163.4 million in 2025, a more than 10% increase on the year before; notes that, with a staff of over 500, the company is a major employer in Perthshire and has brought large-scale investment to the area, most recently with the £10 million expansion of its main bottling site in Blackford, and wishes it further success in the future.

That the Parliament congratulates all of the organisers, coaches, players and supporters involved in the inter-Orkney mini rugby tournament that took place in Westray in September 2026; understands that the tournament saw almost 80 primary school students, representing Kirkwall, Westray, East Mainland and West Mainland, compete in what could be considered the most remote junior rugby competition in Scotland; notes that the primary four/five section was won by team Kirkwall, while the primary six/seven section was won by the hosts Westray; pays tribute to Adam and Karriz Baird and Peter and Eve White for their efforts to build up the Westray mini rugby group, which was previously facilitated by the parent council as an after-school activity but is now part of the wider Orkney Rugby Football Club; thanks the Westray Development Trust, Cooke Aquaculture and Hutchinson Shellfish for helping to fund the travel and equipment for last month's memorable tournament; recognises that participation in sport is a great way for young people to build their confidence, improve their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and create lasting friendships; commends everyone in Westray who has helped grow the community's mini rugby initiative from an initial group of 5 players to a group of more than 20; congratulates all of the young players who participated in the tournament last month on their fantastic efforts, and wishes everyone involved in Orkney's wider youth rugby programme all the best for the future.

That the Parliament applauds the “Wee Read” initiative programme from the Scottish Library and Information Council, in partnership with mental health charities, publishers, booksellers, authors, educators and community organisations, working together to inspire a nation to read, funded by the Scottish Government; believes that it is very important to celebrate and promote reading for pleasure across all corners and age groups in Scotland; urges all MSPs to lead by example and accept the invitation to stop, take a few minutes and enjoy the pleasure of reading on 7 October 2026, joining thousands of people across Scotland, from schools, libraries and workplaces to community groups, families and individuals; appreciates that reading for pleasure can make a significant impact on wellbeing and mental health as well as improving attainment levels across the board for young people; values the role that libraries play in communities every day in providing access to reading materials for all; is aware that Scotland has a rich literary tradition spanning more than 1,400 years, written across English, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Latin, and early Celtic languages, and is proud that Edinburgh was designated the world's first UNESCO City of Literature and hosts major literary celebrations like the Edinburgh International Book Festival and is hopeful that participation in the “Wee Read” will help many discover and rediscover the sheer joy of reading for pleasure as well as acknowledging that it offers a range of benefits such as helping to reduce stress, improving focus and memory and building a more empathetic nation.

That the Parliament welcomes the donation of new specialist ultrasound equipment to the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital (RACH); understands that children receiving care at RACH will now benefit from new specialist ultrasound equipment thanks to a partnership between Sepsis Research, SPIFOX and NHS Grampian; notes that the equipment will help clinicians obtain intravenous access more quickly and with less discomfort for young patients; believes that in cases involving sepsis, every minute matters and that it is important, therefore, that the right equipment is available to help clinical teams deliver faster, more comfortable care when children need it most, and commends the efforts of all involved in raising the vital funds to deliver the new specialist ultrasound equipment.

As an amendment to motion S7M-01460 in the name of Jim Fairlie (Supporting Scotland's Fishing Industry), insert at end "welcomes the findings of Environment Standards Scotland’s Protecting Scotland’s Seafloor report, which calls on Scottish Ministers to take actions to meet their legal obligations to the marine environment, and believes that fully implementing the National Marine Plan is crucial to sustaining Scotland’s fishers and coastal communities for the long-term."

As an amendment to motion S7M-01460 in the name of Jim Fairlie (Supporting Scotland's Fishing Industry), insert at end "; believes that there is a spatial squeeze, due to an increasing demand in marine space and that steps must be taken to address the impacts the fishing sector is facing due to this demand, including striking a new settlement on space-based planning for Scotland's seas, which respects local knowledge and ensures the right activity happens in the right place as well as a comprehensive scheme of compensation for fisherman who are displaced; notes long held concerns about the level of Scottish Government investment into its Marine Directorate and whether it is fit for purpose; calls therefore on the Scottish Government to conduct a review of the Directorate and to examine whether it should be replaced with a decentralised system, which manages waters as locally as possible, and further calls on the Scottish Government to bring forward a scheme on creel limits."

As an amendment to motion S7M-01460 in the name of Jim Fairlie (Supporting Scotland's Fishing Industry), insert at end “and backs the principle that fishermen should be protected from, or compensated for, any financial loss caused by the expansion of offshore wind farms into their long-established fishing grounds.”

As an amendment to motion S7M-01460 in the name of Jim Fairlie (Supporting Scotland's Fishing Industry), leave out from “welcomes” and insert “considers that the voices of fishers, processors and coastal communities must be central to decisions affecting the sector; believes that the future of fishing depends on thriving places, with the infrastructure, skills, housing and opportunities needed to retain young people and support industry growth; recognises the growing concern among fishing, aquaculture, ports, renewable energy and conservation interests regarding the cumulative pressures on Scotland’s marine space; calls on the Scottish Government to provide certainty for all users of the sea on how competing demands for marine space will be managed and how any spatial squeeze will be addressed, and further calls on the Scottish Government to bring forward, as a matter of urgency, its long-delayed Marine Plan 2 to provide a clear, integrated and strategic framework for the sustainable management of Scotland’s seas.”