Chamber and committees

That the Parliament notes with concern reports that women and girls are waiting 170 days, on average, to access specialist support services after experiencing sexual violence; recognises that 800 women and girls are currently waiting for support across the West Scotland and Glasgow and Clyde areas; understands that only two-thirds of these women and girls will be able to receive support on current funding levels for both the STAR Centre and Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis; recognises research by the Scottish Rape Crisis Alliance, which suggests that over 3,000 women and girls in these areas will be waiting for support if there is no change in current funding levels for the STAR Centre and Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis; notes that the STAR Centre, which covers all of Ayrshire, is providing support to over 150 women and girls with around five support and advocacy workers; acknowledges that Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis faces significant logistical challenges, including transport costs, due to covering six separate local authority areas; believes that those who have been a victim of sexual violence should have prompt access to the best available support, and calls on the Scottish Government to urgently bring forward proposals to provide rape crisis centres with desperately needed funding to deliver vital services.

That the Parliament notes with concern reports that knife crime has reached its highest level in eight years; recognises what it sees as growing public concern regarding knife crime, particularly after recent high-profile incidents involving young people; notes the work of the No Knives, Better Lives programme, which has reached over 100,000 young people across Scotland, including in the West Scotland Region, and has been credited with an 85% reduction in the number of young people convicted of handling an offensive weapon since 2008-09; expresses its concern that the No Knives, Better Lives programme has been subject to a reported 32% reduction in its funding in the 2026-27 financial year; understands that this is on top of a previously reported real-terms reduction of 10% in funding for the programme since 2022-23, and notes the calls for the Scottish Government to increase funding for the No Knives, Better Lives programme, in light of its previous success in helping to reduce knife crime among young people across Scotland.

That the Parliament expresses its dismay at the decision taken by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Board to proceed with service changes outlined in its Service Delivery Review, despite what it believes has been significant public opposition, including in the West Scotland region; considers that these service changes will result in station closures, the withdrawal of fire appliances, reduced fire cover and increased response times; understands that there has already been a loss of 1,250 jobs and an around £74 million per year reduction in real-terms funding of the SFRS since 2012-13, and notes the calls for increased and sustained investment in the SFRS to ensure that it can keep the public safe, improve response times and respond to challenges, such as the reported rising number of wildfires.

That the Parliament expresses its concerns at the findings of the report by STUC, Behind the Rich List: Scotland’s Wealth Gap, which highlights that the growth in wealth of the 10 richest people in Scotland has outstripped workers’ wages more than sixfold since the beginning of devolution; understands that the wealth of Scotland’s 10 richest people is now more than £23 billion, representing an increase of 375% since 1999, while full-time average weekly earnings have increased by only 22% in real terms during the same period; notes research by Future Economy Scotland published in May 2025, which  estimates that flatlining wage trends since the 2008 financial crisis have left workers in Scotland nearly £15,000 worse off per year; recognises concerns regarding the increase in the gap between rich and poor and in inequality, and calls on the Scottish Government to consider the recommendations contained in the STUC report.

That the Parliament acknowledges that 3 May 2026 marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the nine-day General Strike across the UK; recognises that more than two million workers participated in what was the first ever general strike across the UK; understands that the strike began when the Trade Union Congress (TUC) mobilised workers in several sectors of the economy to take strike action in support of over one million miners, who were opposing poor working conditions and lessening of pay; notes that workers across Scotland participated in the UK-wide general strike from industries including the railways, docks, printing, ironworks and steelworks; condemns tactics that were used to suppress the strike, including the deployment of police, military personnel and the use of strikebreaking volunteers; believes that the strike represents the most significant display of trade union power in the UK to date; commends the TUC, trade unions and the wider labour movement for the work that has been taking place across Scotland and the UK to mark the anniversary; believes that the anniversary highlights the need for strong trade unions and employment rights in Scotland and across the UK, and further believes that both the ability to join free and independent trade unions and to withdraw labour are fundamental human rights.

That the Parliament recognises the 120th anniversary year of the Ayrshire Chess Association; notes that it was founded on 2 September 1906 and was the first county chess association formed in Scotland; commends the ongoing work that it has had in widening participation in junior and community chess in Ayrshire through organising competitions and supporting new clubs throughout the country; acknowledges the contribution that the association, its member clubs and volunteers have made to community life in Ayrshire over several decades; wishes the association, and the area's wider chess community, every future success; notes what it sees as the historic importance of chess as a part of Scotland’s creative and intellectual heritage dating back to the 12th century; understands that, without recognised sport status, chess clubs and associations across Scotland face significant difficulty receiving centralised support, and calls for dedicated public funding pathways to promote the game, facilitate learning it in schools and to support competitors participating in international chess competitions.

That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill.

That the Parliament condemns the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), referring to all procedures involving the partial or total removal of female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons; believes that this practice, to which an estimated over 230 million women and girls worldwide have been subjected, is a violation of the right to health and bodily integrity; is profoundly concerned by reports that 1,219 women received treatment from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde between 2019 and June 2025 as a result of having undergone FGM procedures, 57 of whom received reconstructive surgery; believes that these figures may not adequately capture the full extent of FGM in Scotland, or the total number of women and girls at risk, due to the often hidden nature of the practice; regrets that provisions under the Female Genital Mutilation (Protection and Guidance) (Scotland) Act 2020 have not yet been fully implemented, almost six years after it was passed unanimously by the Parliament; notes that the Act sought to strengthen existing laws to safeguard women and girls at risk; believes that the continued delay in implementation is unacceptable and risks eroding trust among those most in need of these protections; urges the Scottish Government to take immediate action to ensure the Act’s provisions are implemented in full by the end of the current parliamentary session at the latest; believes that the eradication of FGM requires action beyond criminalisation to address the abusive behaviours and attitudes underpinning the practice; recognises that prejudicial stereotypes surrounding victims and their communities present barriers to disclosure and support, and commends the work of community-led initiatives across Scotland that continue to support affected women and girls, raise awareness of FGM and improve the response of healthcare professionals, schools, police and other agencies.

That the Parliament understands that in 2022, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) engaged constructively with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to reach an “in principle” agreement on a proposal to be put to the FBU membership on role expansion; believes that both sides in the discussions fully understood that in order for the proposition to become a firm offer, it had to be underpinned by additional funding as the SFRS could not resource role expansion from its existing budget; further believes that the business case jointly agreed between the SFRS and FBU, outlining the developed role for Scottish firefighters, has since been sitting with the Scottish Government with no progress made; believes that the proposal has the potential to be transformative for the sector, reducing the burden on SFRS partners such as the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS, and delivering significant societal benefits, including saving lives and long-term financial savings, but that without investment the proposal cannot realistically progress, and calls on the Scottish Government, as a matter of urgency, to progress this reform of an essential public service.