Chamber and committees

That the Parliament congratulates Dr Pam Gosal MBE on her success in winning the Achievement in Community Service Award at the Asian Achievers Awards 2026, which took place in London; notes that Dr Gosal, a former MSP for West Scotland, received the award in recognition of her service to her community and wider society; notes that the Asian Achiever Awards were established in 2000 and that more than 500 nominations were received across all award categories this year; considers that, as an MSP, Dr Gosal championed the rights of women and girls, backed the business community and worked hard on behalf of her constituents, and wishes Dr Gosal well in her future endeavours.

As an amendment to motion S7M-01264 in the name of John Swinney (Scotland’s Right to Decide), leave out from "is" to end and insert "voted decisively to remain within the UK; believes that Scotland's future is best served by a government focused on the priorities of the people of Scotland, including reducing taxes, bolstering economic growth and delivering value for money in public services.”

As an amendment to motion S7M-01178 in the name of Gillian Mackay (Middle East: Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), leave out from “believes” to end and insert “condemns the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were murdered, and 251 people were taken hostage, including children and British nationals; notes several reports, including findings by the United Nations, that rape and sexualised torture were committed during the attacks and against women and children held hostage in captivity; recognises Israel as a democratic state and a longstanding ally of the UK, and acknowledges the importance of UK-Israel intelligence sharing in tackling shared threats and protecting citizens; recognises Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are terrorist organisations proscribed in the UK and receive support from Iran; notes that foreign policy is reserved matter to the UK Parliament; recognises that Israeli settlements and settler violence undermine the prospects for peace; considers, however, that blanket boycotts will not advance a two-state solution and risk deepening community tensions in the UK, and supports a two-state solution that guarantees security for Israelis and Palestinians.”

As an amendment to motion S7M-01163 in the name of John Swinney (Preventing Violence Against Women for an Equally Safe Scotland), insert at end “; recognises with concern that crimes of a sexual nature and domestic abuse are increasing in Scotland but that many victims still do not report them to the police; notes that Scottish Government legislation passed in 2023 removed a presumption against bail for those accused of sexual or domestic abuse offences despite warnings from female crime victims and groups representing them that this would cause further harm to women; further notes with concern a 2024 report by HM Inspectorate of Prosecutions in Scotland, which found that bail breaches are not always taken seriously by the justice system; believes that delays in the justice system and a lack of transparency around plea deals between prosecutors and accused criminals continue to cause trauma to victims; further believes that proposals in a recent Scottish Government consultation risk further weakening sentencing by damaging judicial independence and failing to properly punish perpetrators; considers that these proposals are partly as a result of the government’s failure to build sufficient prison capacity in order to keep the public safe; further considers that sentencing guidelines, which recommend non-custodial sentences for criminals aged under 25, are unjust and detrimental to women who have suffered violence or sexual violence by adult males aged under 25, and calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that women and girls are protected by the justice system by reinstating safeguards for bail and remand, treating bail breaches seriously, abandoning its plans for automatic early release for all long-term prisoners and scrapping the under 25 sentencing guidelines.” 

That the Parliament congratulates the finalists of the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2026, which took place in Glasgow on 1 September; notes that the awards, which are now in their 31st year, are Scotland’s longest running ceremony and celebrate the country’s best pubs, bars and restaurants; appreciates the significant amount of time and commitment involved in running hospitality businesses in what it sees as a challenging economic climate; pays tribute to all of those who create and work in hospitality businesses, which are often at the heart of local communities; recognises the two award winners from the West Scotland Region, namely Tracey Hunter from The Tavern Bar in Millport, who won Bar Personality of the Year, and The Pawn Lounge in Alexandria, which won the DRAM Community Pub of the Year, and sends its good wishes to the more than 100 venues, teams and individuals who were shortlisted as finalists and to all of the nominees who do so much to run these valued social hubs across Scotland.

That the Parliament welcomes what it sees as the decisive and important outcome from the high-profile High Court of Justice of England and Wales civil litigation, Lawrence and others vs. Associated Newspapers Limited, which is the publisher of newspapers including the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday; notes that, in his detailed judgment, which runs to 436 pages, Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed in their entirety the seven claimants’ 97 allegations of misuse of private information and breach of confidence; notes that the judge made numerous positive comments about the conduct, character and honesty of several Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday journalists, including what he described as the "truthful" and "honest" evidence of Stephen Wright, associate editor (investigations), whose journalism it believes is recognised as being critical in securing convictions for the 1993 murder of Stephen Lawrence; agrees with reported comments from former Daily Mail editor, Paul Dacre, that what he described as the "trumped-up" case represented, in his view, a "conspiracy" to destroy the newspaper and that the court victory is, he believes, an "overwhelming vindication of our journalism"; further agrees with reported comments from Mr Dacre that the case "raises profoundly disturbing questions about the conduct of elements of the legal profession"; notes with concern a statement reportedly issued by the Duke of Sussex and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, which described the judgment as a "complete and obvious whitewash"; believes that this allegation is wholly inaccurate and without foundation and that it undermines and disrespects the fundamental principle of judicial independence in the UK; notes that the cost of legal fees for the court action are estimated to be around £50 million and that significant court time is reported to have been taken up by the case; believes that in today’s fragmented media and social media landscape, in which misinformation and disinformation are, in its view, rife, trusted and professional journalism has never been more important; considers that newspaper reporting plays a critical role in holding powerful individuals and organisations to account on behalf of the public across the UK, including Scotland, and believes that a free media must be cherished and protected from what it considers to be vexatious and costly litigation and unwarranted state regulation.         

As an amendment to S7M-00294 in the name of Anas Sarwar (Inquiry to Restore Public Trust in Scottish Politics), insert at end "; believes that public trust is undermined when legitimate questions go unanswered; notes the conviction of Peter Murrell following Operation Branchform; believes that scrutiny is essential to democratic accountability, and calls for any independent inquiry to establish what lessons must be learned from this scandal and what reforms are required to restore public confidence in Scottish politics."

As an amendment to motion S7M-00105 in the name John Swinney (Ambitious for Scotland), leave out from “welcomes" to end and insert "believes that its seventh session should be focused exclusively on resolving the issues that matter to most people in Scotland, such as dealing with NHS waiting times, reversing Scotland’s falling educational standards, tackling the growing benefits bill and delivering value-for-money for Scotland's taxpayers; urges the Scottish Government to drop its demands to hold a second independence referendum, and calls for the Scottish Government to drop its position of a presumption against new oil and gas licences, as outlined in its Draft Energy Strategy published in the last session of the Parliament."

That the Parliament has no confidence in the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, in light of her failures in candour and openness in her misrepresentation and subsequent misleading statements made to the Parliament with regards to Professor Alexis Jay and grooming gangs.

As an amendment to motion S6M-19980 in the name of Pauline McNeill (Transparency in Tackling Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse), leave out from “clarify” to end and insert "establish an inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland."