Chamber and committees

That the Parliament welcomes the announcement that Glasgow Life has formally secured the complete archive of the Third Eye Centre and Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA); understands that this acquisition safeguards more than five decades of cultural heritage, including exhibition records, artists' correspondence and film, which chronicle Glasgow’s development as a major centre for contemporary art; recognises the months of behind-the-scenes work and collaborative partnership between Glasgow Life, Rachael Rennert, the Business Archives Surveying Officer for Scotland, and Kiara King at the specialist archives charity, The Ballast Trust, in securing these records, which were at risk; commends the work of The Ballast Trust, which was founded in 1988, for its ongoing dedication to rescuing, sorting and cataloguing Scotland's industrial, business, and organisational archives; notes that this successful intervention with insolvency practitioners will be shared as a case study at the Insolvency Practitioners Association (IPA) event in October 2026; believes that this case demonstrates the vital importance of developing a more systemic approach to safeguarding Scotland's business and organisational records, which play a crucial role in preserving the economic, industrial, social, cultural, and creative history of the nation, and looks forward to the collection being catalogued by the Glasgow City Archives team at the Mitchell Library and made publicly accessible for future generations.

That the Parliament recognises Challenge Poverty Week 2026, which is coordinated by the Poverty Alliance, Scotland’s anti-poverty network, and runs from 5 to 11 October; understands that hundreds of organisations and communities across Scotland, including in the Glasgow region, are coming together during the week to challenge the causes and consequences of poverty and to demand action; expresses concern that almost a million people in Scotland, including one in five children, are living in poverty; believes that poverty and inequality are not inevitable, but are created and sustained by political and economic choices, and that different choices can build a society where everyone has the security and opportunities to live a good life; recognises that poverty is experienced unequally, with women, lone parents, disabled people and people from minority ethnic communities among those more likely to be affected; notes the view that tackling poverty requires action across the foundations of people’s lives, including a social security system that provides an adequate income, affordable energy, secure and fairly paid work, investment in children and young people and a properly funded third sector, and notes the calls for MSPs to support Challenge Poverty Week events and activities in their constituencies and communities, and to stand with people across the country in demanding a Scotland free from poverty.

That the Parliament welcomes Merchant Navy Day, which was marked on 3 September 2026; recognises that the day provides an opportunity to pay tribute to the men and women of the UK Merchant Navy and fishing fleets, past and present; remembers the 36,749 seafarers lost to enemy action during the Second World War when Nazi Germany attempted to blockade the British Isles to starve the nation into submission; notes that 3 September was selected for Merchant Navy Day as it marks the anniversary of the sinking of the Glasgow-based SS Athenia by a Nazi torpedo mere hours after the outbreak of war, leading to the tragic loss of 112 passengers and crew; recognises that merchant seafarers continue to play a vital role in sustaining the UK economy and food supply, with 95% of all trade and 45% of food imported via shipping; further recognises that the Merchant Navy once again has to contend with international conflict, with multiple key shipping lanes currently disrupted; commends the work of The Seafarers’ Charity and other organisations in raising awareness of the day and encouraging communities across Scotland to fly the Red Ensign as a visible symbol of support, and encourages people throughout Scotland to take a moment on Merchant Navy Day to honour the service and dedication of all merchant seafarers.

That the Parliament notes with concern the proposed demolition of the category B-listed Hillhead Baptist Church, which is situated in the Glasgow West Conservation Area, by Wemyss Properties; understands that Glasgow City Council’s Planning Applications Committee has indicated that it is minded to grant planning permission and listed building consent, subject to conditions and the completion of a legal agreement; notes reports that this decision was highly contested, with the committee vote being tied and only passing on the casting vote of the chair; understands that the application faced a high level of public opposition, receiving 332 formal objections from the community; considers that approving the complete demolition of this listed building contradicts the core principles of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) and Historic Environment Scotland policy; recognises that there is a strong statutory presumption against demolition of listed buildings unless one of four strict tests is met; believes that the applicant has failed to meet these tests, specifically because the building retains its special architectural interest and category B-listed status, its deteriorated state does not render it incapable of meaningful physical repair through conservation engineering, the proposed standard private residential development is not essential to delivering significant wider community or economic benefits, and the building has not been transparently marketed by Wemyss Properties to restoring purchasers at a price reflecting its dereliction for a reasonable period; further believes that Scotland has a strong legal framework to protect historic buildings, and that local authorities should actively utilise repairs notices, urgent works powers, and compulsory purchase orders where buildings are being neglected, rather than rewarding demolition by neglect; considers that because the applications remain live and a formal decision has not yet been issued by the planning authority, it is entirely appropriate and legally permissible for the Scottish Ministers to intervene, and urges the Scottish Ministers to reconsider their position and urgently exercise their power to call in the applications for their own determination, ensuring that national planning policies are robustly enforced, overwhelming community opposition is respected, and Glasgow’s architectural heritage is safeguarded for future generations.

That the Parliament welcomes the operation of the Overdose Prevention Centre pilot, known as The Thistle, in Glasgow; notes that safer drug consumption facilities have operated internationally for four decades, since the first opened in Berne, Switzerland, in 1986, with well over 100 facilities now operating across more than a dozen countries, including Sydney’s Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, operational since 2001, and around 40 facilities in Canada; recalls that such a facility was first recommended for Glasgow in 2016, in response to the largest HIV outbreak among people who inject drugs seen in the UK in decades, meaning that almost 10 years passed before The Thistle finally opened in January 2025; notes that what it considers to be a vital public health intervention builds upon the pioneering, activist-led overdose prevention pilot previously operated by Peter Krykant, who sadly died in 2025 and that, with the support of volunteers, this pilot supervised 894 recorded injecting episodes and successfully reversed nine overdoses over a nine-month period from August 2020, as independently verified by Dr Gillian Shorter, co-director of the Drug and Alcohol Research Network at Queen's University Belfast; believes that this was instrumental in demonstrating the need for such a facility in Glasgow; understands that, during its first year of operation, The Thistle significantly exceeded initial expectations, recording 11,348 visits by 575 registered individuals and supervising 7,827 injecting episodes, without a single death occurring within the facility; considers that, since most fatal overdoses occur when people use drugs alone and unwitnessed, each of the 93 medical emergencies managed on site represents a life at acute risk to which trained staff could respond within seconds; welcomes that 78 of these emergencies were resolved by Thistle staff without any further assistance, that ambulances were required on only 15 occasions and that transfer to A&E was only needed on nine occasions; notes that no death has ever been recorded inside a sanctioned safer drug consumption facility anywhere in the world; further notes that the facility made 612 onward referrals in its first year, most commonly to housing services, followed by drug recovery services, demonstrating the centre's role as a gateway into treatment and care for a population largely disconnected from services; highlights evidence provided by local stakeholders regarding the positive impact on the surrounding community, including reports from Morrisons supermarket of a 94% reduction in discarded needles and drug-related litter in the vicinity of its Barrack Street store; further recognises parallel developments in the United States, where the first two government-supported overdose prevention centres opened in New York City in November 2021, operated by OnPoint NYC, which has since recorded more than 250,000 visits and over 2,100 overdose interventions without a single fatality, and where Rhode Island became the first US state to legislate for such a facility in 2021, with the country’s first state-sanctioned centre opening in Providence in December 2024, reportedly recording over 8,000 visits and 92 overdoses safely managed in its first year, under an independent evaluation led by Brown University with funding from National Institutes of Health; acknowledges the sustained calls from the academic and medical communities for this intervention, including the recommendations of the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee in 2019 and the Home Affairs Committee in 2023, and the support expressed by bodies, including the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the Faculty of Public Health; welcomes that the three-year pilot programme includes a comprehensive and independent evaluation that is fully funded, mandatory and currently being undertaken by Public Health Scotland, Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Stirling; believes that these early indicators provide strong evidence that the facility is fulfilling its primary objectives of reducing drug-related deaths, mitigating public drug consumption and alleviating pressure on emergency services; welcomes the UK Government's approval of a licence for a drug-checking service at The Thistle in October 2025 and also welcomes the service’s plans to develop a supervised smoking/inhalation space, subject to Scottish Government legislative amendment; notes reports that Rhode Island requires its centres to include smoking provision given the changing patterns of drug use; encourages consideration of extended opening hours at The Thistle beyond the current 9am to 9pm; regrets that the facility currently operates only by virtue of the Lord Advocate’s statement of prosecution policy of September 2023, rather than on a statutory basis; urges the Scottish and UK governments to collaborate to place safer drug consumption facilities on a secure statutory footing; calls on the Scottish Government to strongly support the continued operation of this evidence-based public health pilot, alongside sustained investment across the wider spectrum of prevention, recovery services, residential rehabilitation and community-based treatment to effectively tackle Scotland’s drug deaths crisis, which, it believes, remains the country's biggest public health emergency.

That the Parliament congratulates Glasgow on successfully hosting the XXIII Commonwealth Games; further congratulates Commonwealth Games Scotland on its successful organisation of the Games, which saw over 3,000 athletes compete for 645 medals across 10 sports; notes that Glasgow stepped in at short notice to host the Games after the original host, the state of Victoria in Australia, withdrew in July 2023 due to cost concerns; recognises that, following a sustained campaign by Commonwealth Games Scotland and with support from Glasgow parliamentarians, Glasgow agreed in September 2024 to take over the hosting rights for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, allowing the Games to continue uninterrupted, as they have done since the Second World War; further recognises that the Games received financial support from Victoria, Australia; notes that the Games made extensive use of four venues that were originally built or upgraded for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow International Arena, Scotstoun Stadium and Tollcross International Swimming Centre, demonstrating a lower-cost and more sustainable model that allowed the Games to proceed on a leaner budget than originally planned; welcomes the full integration of para-sport across six of the 10 disciplines on offer, which is a record number of para medal events for the Commonwealth Games; celebrates Scotland's performances as host nation, including Josh Kerr's Gold in the Commonwealth Mile, marking the first time the mile has featured at the Games in 60 years; commends the thousands of staff and volunteers whose work across the 11 days of competition was instrumental to the success of the Games; celebrates the fact that Amdavad, India, will host the centennial edition of the Commonwealth Games in 2030, securing the longer-term future of the Games; wishes every athlete, volunteer and spectator involved in the Games the very best, thanks them for making it such a success, and celebrates Glasgow's willingness to step in to ensure that the Commonwealth Games were neither postponed nor cancelled.

That the Parliament congratulates Platform in Easterhouse on its 20th anniversary, which was marked by the highly successful Bridge Family Festival on 18 July 2026; understands that thousands of people attended the celebrations, which began with a vibrant community carnival parade travelling from FARE to The Bridge, featuring a piper, themed floats, samba bands, colourful costumes, and banners created by local community groups, culminating in a free family festival with art workshops, a roller disco, live music, and theatre; notes that the festival forms part of Made in Easterhouse 20:26, an ambitious year-long programme featuring 26 distinct creative projects and live events to mark the anniversary; recognises that this inclusive programme celebrates the diverse talents of the local community through initiatives such as the Easterhouse Makes exhibition, which showcases collaborative artwork by community class participants aged 11 to 88, the Easterhouse Almanac skills exchange curated by a local artist, and the commissioning of new early-years activities led by the resident Play Café artist; recognises the historical significance of Platform’s opening in 2006 as a dedicated arts facility set within The Bridge; notes that this flagship cultural campus was designed by the acclaimed, Glasgow-based practice, Gareth Hoskins Architects, winning a 2007 RIBA National Award and the BCI Regeneration Award for its visionary approach to urban renewal; believes that the architectural design successfully bridged the physical gap between the adjacent John Wheatley College, now Glasgow Kelvin College, and the Easterhouse swimming pool, while seamlessly integrating a modern public library and learning space, housed within a striking double-height volume, into the heart of the facility; acknowledges that over the past two decades, Platform has established itself as a vital, accessible hub for education, cutting-edge performance, and visual arts for the people of Easterhouse and the wider east end of Glasgow; commends the ongoing work of community projects like the Easterhouse Living Archive in preserving local working-class heritage; commends the dedication of the staff, volunteers, and community partners in organising such a memorable 20th birthday event, and wishes everyone at Platform and The Bridge continued success for the future.

That the Parliament notes with concern reports that Creative Scotland intends to sell the Grecian Chambers building formerly occupied by the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) at 350 Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow, which has been in continuous public ownership since it was purchased by the Scottish Arts Council in the early 1970s; recognises that the CCA has been a key focal point for Glasgow’s cultural sector since it was established in this building in 1992 and that it has played an important role in driving forward the city’s creative economy; further notes with concern that the CCA reportedly faced significant financial challenges prior to its closure in January 2026; regrets the loss of employment for the 39 staff members who were reportedly made redundant along with many freelance workers who it understands lost employment; acknowledges the concerns raised regarding the reportedly poor level of communication with staff during this process, and calls on the Scottish Government to safeguard the Centre for Contemporary Arts Archive collection and to ensure it is transferred into the safekeeping of an appropriate public archive; as an alternative to proceeding with the sale of what it considers to be a key public asset, believes that a clear, actionable timeline should be established to facilitate the reopening of the CCA as a vital cultural asset for Glasgow, governed by a new operating body while being retained under public ownership, and calls on the Scottish Government to engage with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the site is preserved for the public and the arts community as a functioning cultural space under public ownership.

As an amendment to motion S7M-00542 in the name of Alex Kerr (EY Attractiveness Survey), insert at end "; recognises however, what it considers is the lack of detailed parliamentary and governmental scrutiny applied to FDI projects, which can often entail the foreign takeover of established Scotland-headquartered companies and domestically-owned assets rather than generating new greenfield investment; notes with concern recent analysis by The Scotsman in the Scotland 500 list, which suggested that US-based private equity firms account for 39% of all ownership stakes in Scotland’s largest headquartered firms by turnover, and that all three of the country's unicorn start-ups are now in overseas ownership; warns that companies from Scotland might too often be left vulnerable to foreign takeovers; highlights what it sees as the increasing level of foreign ownership in Scoland's economy and the consequent wealth extraction that this facilitates, a dynamic that it considers is evidenced by the structural divergence between Scotland’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Income (GNI);understands that GNI remained below GDP throughout 1998 to 2021, reflecting the primary income deficit over this period; notes that, in 2021, Scotland’s Primary Income Account showed a net outflow of £10.1 billion, or -5.6% of GDP, with the largest outflow being returns on direct investment at -3.2% of GDP, and calls on the Scottish Government to carry out a more rigorous analysis of investment data, distinguishing between developmental FDI, which builds domestic industrial capacity, and dependent FDI, which extracts wealth, to ensure that economic strategy prioritises the retention and growth of capital under domestic ownership and the long-term prosperity of Scotland."

That the Parliament celebrates that Glasgow and the US city of Boston, Massachusetts, are to be formally twinned; notes that a letter of intent was signed by Mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, on 18 June 2026, with the formal twinning to take place during Tartan Week 2027; celebrates the long and storied history between Glasgow and Boston as two major North Atlantic port cities over the last four hundred years, from being reformation strongholds in the 17th century, global trading centres in the 18th century, industrial powerhouses in the 19th and 20th centuries to leading technological and research centres in the 21st century; recognises the importance of city twinning in building up international cooperation and solidarity in the wake of the extraordinary goodwill fostered by the Tartan Army during their residence in Boston during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and wishes both cities the best as they deepen their friendship with each other.