Chamber and committees

That the Parliament congratulates Andy MacDonald on his successful appointment as chief executive of Aberdeen City Council; understands that Andy joined Aberdeen City Council in 2018 and most recently served as the local authority’s executive director of corporate services and interim chief executive; notes Andy’s extensive experience in both local government and the private sector, having also had roles with Glasgow City Council, BT Global Services and National Australia; recognises that, during his time with Aberdeen City Council, Andy has been part of the team that delivered £150m savings through digital transformation and organisational redesign, as well as steering a £130m five-year transformation programme to optimise service delivery; notes Andy’s commitment to helping Aberdeen become an ambitious, welcoming and inclusive city with opportunity for all, and wishes him the very best of luck for his tenure as chief executive.

That the Parliament notes the launch of the National Quality Service Standards (NQSS) by Scottish Women’s Aid; understands that the NQSS is an accreditation framework for specialist services supporting those affected by domestic abuse, which has been developed by Scottish Women’s Aid in partnership with its network, survivors and sector experts and is due to be launched on 29 October 2026; notes that organisations, such as the Aberdeen Donside-based Grampian Women’s Aid, have already received accreditation; believes that the NQSS framework ensures that every woman and child accessing support from Scottish Women’s Aid receives consistent, reliable, compassionate and high-quality support, no matter where they are, their background or their circumstances; understands that services looking to achieve accreditation must complete a formal, five-stage, assessment process, providing evidence of how they meet each standard, with the decision then being made by an expert panel; commends the work carried out by Scottish Women’s Aid in developing this accreditation to ensure that every woman and child receives the same level, standard and quality of support, and wishes it every success with the uptake of the accreditation.

That the Parliament welcomes the announcement that Extracorporeal Photopheresis (ECP) is now available in Aberdeen through the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service; understands that previously, patients needing this specialist treatment had to travel to either Glasgow or Edinburgh to receive care; notes that by bringing ECP to Aberdeen means that patients have less travel, more time at home with their loved ones and a better overall treatment experience; commends the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service on bringing ECP treatment to Aberdeen, and notes the benefits that the service will have for many others across Aberdeen and the wider north east region in the years to come.

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.

That the Parliament welcomes the announcement that 13 local charities and community organisations are set to benefit from a new cohort of students from the University of Aberdeen; understands that the initiative, Interns with Impact, which is delivered by the University of Aberdeen in partnership with The Wood Foundation, aims to connect students with work opportunities while helping charities develop innovative projects; notes that placements will give students the chance to gain valuable professional experience, while making a tangible contribution to organisations working across sport, culture, science, community development, social support and the arts; believes that a total of 13 internships have been approved for 2026 with more set to follow in 2027; understands that participating organisations include Aberdeen Science Centre, Aberdeen Sports Village, Cfine and North East Sensory Services (NESS); notes that the Interns with Impact initiative is now in its fourth year, with the new cohort due to commence a seven-week placement in November 2026; recognises what it sees as the vital importance of the internships and the experience this initiative provides to interns but also the support it offers to charities and local organisations, and wishes all interns the best for their placements.

That the Parliament congratulates Anne Jenkins on her successful appointment as chief executive of Langstane Housing Association; understands that Anne first joined Langstane as a director of housing, following an extensive 20-year career across the housing sector, including roles with Aberdeen City Council, Angus Council and Blackwood Homes and Care as well as serving as a board member on Scotland’s Housing Network; believes that, under Anne’s leadership, the housing association will continue to build on its existing work whilst also considering how to evolve, innovate and deliver for its tenants and communities; recognises the work carried out by Anne during her career so far, and wishes her every success going forward in her new role.

That the Parliament welcomes the opening of the Foresterhill Greenspace Project within NHS Grampian’s Foresterhill campus in Aberdeen; notes that the Greenspace project, which was funded by the European Regional Development Fund through NatureScot, was designed by erz landscape architects and built by Kier Construction; believes that the project has sought to improve the quality and accessibility of greenspace on NHS Grampian’s estate as well as providing much-needed flood prevention basins; understands that more than 150 trees have been planted as part of the project, which also involved woodland planting and opening up an old burn which ran under the site, with the site also including a picnic and natural play area, wildflower meadows and an extensive sculptural basin that will capture surface water run-off from the car park; recognises the health, wellbeing and therapeutic benefits that the Greenspace Project will provide for patients, staff, visitors and the wider local community, and commends the efforts of all involved in bringing the project to fruition.

That the Parliament congratulates Aberdeen Performing Arts on the success of its second Aberdeen Comedy Festival, which came to a close on 4 October 2026; understands that the festival welcomed over 17,000 comedy fans across 45 gigs and events in the Granite City across three weekends, with some of the biggest names in comedy, emerging talent and family shows performing; notes the commitment by Aberdeen Performing Arts to make the festival a firm fixture in Aberdeen’s cultural calendar, bringing people together, attracting audiences into the city and giving them another reason to explore everything Aberdeen has to offer; commends the efforts of everyone at Aberdeen Performing Arts in delivering such a successful event, and wishes them all the best as they plan for 2027.

That the Parliament welcomes the opening of the Anne H Cruickshank Observatory on 30 September 2026, marking the first new observatory in Aberdeen for more than 200 years; understands that the observatory is located in the Cruickshank Botanic Gardens, housing a 16-inch John Cruickshank telescope equipped with advanced imaging technology; notes that it will support teaching and research in astrophysics, as well as interdisciplinary work involving artificial intelligence and data science; recognises that it will also create new opportunities for schools, community groups and members of the public to engage with astronomy; believes that the Anne H Cruickshank Observatory is unique as it is fully AI-controlled, with both the roof and telescope able to be operated using AI voice controls; recognises that the observatory builds on the University of Aberdeen's 400-year tradition of astronomical discovery, and hopes further astronomical discoveries can be made from the new observatory in future.

That the Parliament welcomes the announcement that easyJet will launch two new summer routes from Aberdeen International Airport to Barcelona and Mallorca; understands that the new routes will be launched in 2027, with flights to Barcelona due to launch on 31 March 2027 and flights to Mallorca on 3 May 2027 with both routes operating twice weekly; notes that the two new routes mark further growth for easyJet at Aberdeen International Airport, following the addition of services to Paris Charles de Gaulle and Belfast International, giving customers more opportunities to travel directly from their local airport; hopes that this can strengthen ties between Aberdeen and Spain; wishes both easyJet and Aberdeen International Airport continued success in their partnership together, and congratulates both ahead of the launch of these new routes.