Chamber and committees

That the Parliament congratulates Little Brains, based at Greenhills Square in East Kilbride, on achieving Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) status (SC055724) from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator; recognises the charity’s dedication to providing comprehensive, whole-family support for neurodivergent children, young people and adults with additional support needs (ASN); commends founder and project director Louise Keegan, alongside the board of trustees, for their vision, lived experience and tireless dedication in building this welcoming community resource from the ground up; applauds the dedicated staff and volunteers who give their time to run vital initiatives, including sensory play sessions, youth and adult groups and peer support networks that provide families with a space to breathe; highlights the importance of the charity's open-access approach, which welcomes individuals irrespective of a formal diagnosis and ensures that young people never age out of essential support, and wishes everyone involved with Little Brains every continued success as it expands its invaluable services across East Kilbride and South Lanarkshire.

That the Parliament congratulates seven-year-old Lewis Findlay, a P3 pupil at Maxwellton Primary School in East Kilbride, on successfully completing an ambitious summer fitness and fundraising challenge; notes that his self-set challenge included swimming 1,400 metres, cycling 46 kilometres, running 18 kilometres, climbing Ben A’an alongside his five-year-old sister, Evie, and conquering Ben Lomond; understands that Lewis surpassed his initial targets, raising an impressive £1,205 to fund improvements to his school playground; commends the Maxwellton Primary School Parent Council and school community for building upon Lewis’s initiative by engaging pupils directly in decisions on how the funds should be invested; recognises the dedication, community spirit, and determination shown by Lewis to enhance outdoor play for his fellow pupils, and wishes Lewis, his family, and everyone at Maxwellton Primary School every success for the future.

That the Parliament notes with concern that Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) members in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), including dedicated staff based at Abercrombie House in East Kilbride, are set to carry out a programme of industrial action in July 2026; understands that this dispute centres on a planned restructuring programme following what it believes has been FCDO's management's failure to provide crucial assurances against compulsory redundancies; expresses disappointment at reports that it has rejected proposals to avoid compulsory redundancies and has refused to share essential transparency data regarding staffing levels, vacancies and the number of employees remaining at risk; believes that workers in East Kilbride, and across the civil service, deserve transparency, respect and meaningful consultation when public services and livelihoods are threatened; commends the workers standing up for the future of public services, and urges FCDO management to return to meaningful negotiations with PCS immediately to resolve this dispute and to provide a firm guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.

That the Parliament congratulates South Lanarkshire College (SLC) on being named the best performing large college in Scotland for full-time further education; notes that 2024-25 data by the Scottish Funding Council confirms that it had the highest student achievement rates for the third consecutive year; recognises that SLC maintained or improved achievement rates across all study modes, while recording the lowest non-completion rate for full-time further education students across Scotland's large colleges; commends the outstanding hard work of both staff and students; celebrates these milestones alongside SLC’s first full year as a fully independent regional college following its successful de-regionalisation in July 2025, and wishes all college staff and students continued success in serving East Kilbride and the surrounding area.

That the Parliament congratulates Christine Kincaid from East Kilbride on her retirement from Royal Mail after 38 years of dedicated service to the local community; notes that Christine began her career at the Strathaven office in 1987 before continuing her service at the East Kilbride office from 1989, providing a reliable and constant presence to the community during this period; acknowledges Christine’s hard work, dedication and the positive impact she has had on the local community, and wishes her all the very best for her retirement.

That the Parliament congratulates East Kilbride FC on winning the Scottish Lowland League Cup 2024-25, at Broadwood Stadium, Cumbernauld; understands that this followed a spectacular 3-1 victory over Bo’ness United; notes that this is the fourth time it has won this competition making it the most successful club in the tournament since its inception in 2013; congratulates the club's manager, Mick Kennedy, and all of the squad, on achieving what it considers to be a phenomenal feat; thanks the team’s fans for their loyal and unwavering support of the club, often turning up in the wind, hail and rain; sends the club and all of its supporters its wholehearted congratulations on what it sees as this spectacular win, and wishes the team the very best of luck for the rest of the season ahead and the future.

That the Parliament is concerned over the UK Government’s reported reduction of the foreign aid budget in order to increase defence spending; believes that the decision to reduce the foreign aid budget by, it understands, 40% could cost lives in countries that rely on UK support; notes the reported concerns that instability may increase if the UK steps away from global leadership on aid; recognises what it sees as the need for increased defence spending during a period of geopolitical instability, but notes the belief that this should not come at the expense of aid funding; welcomes reports that the Scottish Government remains committed to playing its role in contributing to addressing the challenges faced by the world, and notes the calls on the UK Government to rethink its reported plans to move 1,500 staff from Abercrombie House in East Kilbride to Glasgow while, it considers, there is deep uncertainty over future spending plans.

That the Parliament congratulates the Caledonia Gladiators women’s team on its historic achievement in becoming the first Scottish women’s basketball team to win major silverware; notes that the team triumphed over Oaklands Wolves with a 61-59 victory in the Super League Basketball Trophy Final in Birmingham on 26 January 2025; recognises the significance of this success for Scottish basketball and the team’s role in attracting record crowds to its new home in East Kilbride; celebrates the Caledonia Gladiators women’s team's achievement in becoming the first Scottish women’s basketball team to compete in European competition in over 50 years, and commends the players, coaching staff and all involved with the club on this outstanding accomplishment.

That the Parliament congratulates the staff from the Nationwide Building Society, East Kilbride, who recorded their highest number of donations for the Christmas toy appeal; believes that an amazing 650 toys were donated from the community to the branch to allow it to team up with the fundraising partner, the STV Appeal, to help Glasgow’s No.1 Baby and Family Support Service; applauds this charity's work in assisting families from across the Glasgow area throughout the year, helping some 1,500 in 2024, at a time, it believes, when the cost of living crisis has been a real issue for many, and considers that the staff at Nationwide East Kilbride deserve a massive thanks for their efforts in gathering tremendous support from the community, ensuring that their endeavours were a fantastic success.

That the Parliament recognises that 3 December 2024 is Giving Tuesday; understands that this day is a global generosity movement that celebrates and encourages doing good; welcomes that the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s theme for this year is Give Your Way, which, it understands, encourages people to support charitable causes in whatever way they can, including by donating money, volunteering, donating to and buying from charity shops, doing sponsored challenges and handing in food parcels to local foodbanks; considers that there are many charitable organisations across Scotland that could benefit from donations of money, time or goods; welcomes the work of groups such as East Kilbride Community Food Bank, Loaves and Fishes Foodbank and Share Alike, which provide food and other support to people facing financial difficulty; further welcomes the contribution of Agape Wellbeing, Connected East Kilbride and Healthy and Active East Kilbride, whose work helps to promote social interactions, uplift mental and physical health and provide advice; considers that there are several charity shops located in the East Kilbride constituency and across the country that could benefit from people purchasing goods or donating items that they no longer need; believes that Giving Tuesday is an important initiative, and encourages people in the East Kilbride constituency and across Scotland to give their way to help others in their local community and across the globe.