Chamber and committees

That the Parliament congratulates Michael Dawson on his retirement from J.C. Dawson Butchers in Elgin on 22 August 2026; recognises Michael’s immense contribution to the Elgin and wider Moray community through his many years as one of the town’s longest-established independent businesses; understands that J.C. Dawson Butchers was established in 1889 and has traded from its well-known premises on Batchen Street since 1932, with Michael representing the fourth generation of the Dawson family to run the business; notes that, over more than 135 years, J.C. Dawson has become an important part of Elgin’s retail heritage and has built an outstanding reputation for high quality local produce, personal service and its award-winning products; believes that the longevity and success of the business is testament to generations of hard work by the Dawson family and to the loyalty of its staff and customers; recognises in particular Michael’s dedication to maintaining the traditions and high standards of the family business while ensuring that it remained a popular and much-valued part of the town centre; considers that independent businesses such as J.C. Dawson play an invaluable role in the character, vitality and community life of towns such as Elgin; thanks Michael for his many years of service to his customers and the wider community, and wishes him a long, happy and well-earned retirement.

That the Parliament welcomes the unveiling of phase two of the Ionad an Stòir/The Storr Centre on the Isle of Skye on 12 August 2026; believes that this development is a positive example of partnership between Highland Council, the local community and the UK Government, which provided £550,000 of funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, established by the previous Conservative UK administration; believes that this will further cement the Storr Centre as a significant contributor to the visitor infrastructure of Skye; notes that it will provide an improved path network, car and motorhome parking, EV charging points, motorhome waste disposal, and enhanced toilet facilities, and welcomes that it will provide valuable retail opportunities to local businesses such as the Raasay Distillery and Iain Angus Design to supply their products to customers visiting the centre.

That the Parliament congratulates the Lochnell Estate, which is in Argyll and Bute, on its success in being named the best sporting estate in Scotland at the 2026 Scottish Country Sports Tourism Awards; understands that the award takes into account excellence in sporting tourism, responsible land management, conservation and customer experience; notes the commitment that the Lochnell Estate has made to investing in the quality of the experience it offers to visitors and to conservation and education, and wishes the team that owns and runs the estate every success in the future.

That the Parliament congratulates Tanya Barker on becoming president of Forres Rotary in 2026 as it celebrates its 75th anniversary; notes the recent serendipitous discovery of many historic Forres Rotary artefacts at the Ramnee Hotel, which will go on display at the Tolbooth; further notes what it sees as the significant contribution that the Rotary makes to the community of Forres by bringing together people and supporting good causes, and wishes Tanya and Forres Rotary a very successful year.

That the Parliament congratulates Peter Bloomfield on receiving the Chief Executive's Award at the Veterans Scotland Armed Forces Champion Gathering in Stirling in recognition of his work supporting the Erskine Veterans' Activity Centre in Forres, Moray; notes that Mr Bloomfield is Moray Council's Armed Forces champion and is himself a veteran, having served in the Royal Air Force; recognises the outstanding work carried out by Erskine in Forres to support veterans and their families, and welcomes what it sees as evidence of the social contract between the Armed Forces and their country, which, it believes, reflects the collective responsibility of people in Scotland to support veterans who have put themselves at risk, both physically and mentally, on their behalf.

That the Parliament recognises that schools across Scotland are breaking up for the summer holidays; thanks Scotland’s headteachers, teachers, support staff and all those working in education for their dedication, professionalism and commitment to supporting children and young people throughout another academic year; acknowledges challenges facing the education workforce, including increasing workload pressures and rising incidence of violence and abusive behaviour in schools; believes that teachers and school staff deserve to be safe, respected and properly supported, and that more must be done to ensure that schools have the resources that they need; recognises what it sees as the invaluable contribution made by everyone working in Scotland’s schools to their communities, and wishes all school staff a well-earned, restful and enjoyable summer break.

That the Parliament congratulates the pupils, parents, staff and wider community of Lochcarron Primary School on raising nearly £30,000 towards a new all-weather pitch; recognises the challenges that the school faces in providing safe, year-round outdoor space for pupils with limited alternative facilities; believes that every child, regardless of where they live, should have access to safe, high-quality outdoor space; commends the commitment of the school community in seeking to improve facilities for current and future pupils, and wishes them every success in securing the additional support required to bring the project to fruition.

That the Parliament notes the announcement that Elspeth Macdonald is to retire as chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) in March 2027, having led the organisation since 2019; believes that Elspeth has become one of the most authoritative voices in the UK seafood sector and that she has led the way through several major changes, including the UK’s exit from the EU, the COVID-19 pandemic, evolving environmental policies, the implementation of new fisheries management arrangements and periods of global instability; commends the leadership that Elspeth showed when she and the SFF led the campaign against plans to introduce Highly Protected Marine Areas; acknowledges Elspeth’s ability to work with all elected representatives, regardless of political affiliation; recognises that she is highly respected by both the Scottish and UK governments and parliaments; thanks Elspeth for her outstanding service to the fishing industry and Scotland’s coastal communities, and wishes her well on her retirement.

That the Parliament regrets what it sees as the decision by the previous Scottish National Party administration to break its 2021 manifesto commitment to fully dual the A96 by 2030; understands that the current approach focuses on dualling identified key sections of the route rather than the full corridor, with no confirmed timetable for completion; understands the importance of the A96 to communities and businesses across Moray and North East Scotland and the need for long-term certainty to support investment and economic growth, and recognises the calls on the Scottish Government to review its current position and to set out a clear and deliverable plan for the completion of the key sections, including firm timelines, and for the full dualling of the A96 to be taken forward as soon as possible.

That the Parliament continues to recognise the reported widespread opposition within communities to the proposed Moray FLOW-Park; welcomes the debate that took place in Parliament on 18 February 2026, which was attended by local campaigners against the proposed FLOW-Park; believes that the debate raised a number of important issues, including calls for the Moray FLOW-Park to undergo a full environmental impact assessment, for what reason other sites, that had been considered, were not taken forward and for what reason funding was awarded to the developer, Offshore Solutions Group, by the Crown Estate and Scottish Enterprise, when the proposal was, and remains, in its infancy; further believes that the strength of public opposition to the project is so significant that the proposal should be abandoned and that any public money awarded to the developer in respect of this proposal should be subject to clawback provisions, and notes the calls on the Scottish Government to side with communities against this damaging proposal.