Chamber and committees

That the Parliament congratulates everyone at the Scots Independent (SI) on the centenary of its launch as the newsletter of the Scottish National League (SNL) in 1926; notes that the SNL later became the National Party of Scotland, which in turn merged with the Scottish Party to form the Scottish National Party in 1934; further notes that the SI, which became a newspaper in 1957, is the oldest media voice to have supported Scottish independence continuously throughout its history; understands that it is also believed to be the oldest continuously published political newspaper in Europe; welcomes its centenary celebrations, including the Centenary Lunch taking place in Perth on 14 November 2026, at which actor, broadcaster and theatre director Alan Cumming will be presented with the Oliver Brown Award in recognition of his profound cultural impact and championing of Scottish identity on the global stage, and wishes its board, editor and volunteer contributors continued success.

That the Parliament welcomes the launch of the Tay Create Innovation Partnership, which is a major new initiative designed to drive innovation, business growth and job creation across the Tay Cities Region’s creative technology, design and digital sectors; notes that the partnership, led by Abertay University, is backed by £20 million from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the UK Government-funded Local Innovation Partnerships programme; recognises that Tay Create brings together the University of Dundee, the University of St Andrews, V&A Dundee, Creative Scotland, Techscaler, Interface, UK Games Talent and Finance CIC, 4J Studios, Chroma Developments and Biome Collective, alongside Abertay University, to build on the region’s strengths in creative technology, games, design and digital innovation; understands that the programme will support businesses, entrepreneurs and researchers to develop innovative ideas into new products, services and commercial opportunities, with a particular focus on emerging technologies including AI, real-time 3D, extended reality and digital twins; further understands that Tay Create will encourage the application of creative technologies across sectors, including manufacturing, health, energy and the wider digital economy, and will operate from new purpose-built facilities at Camperdown Dock in Dundee; believes that the investment represents an important opportunity to build on the Tay Cities Region’s established strengths in games and creative technology, support high-value employment and encourage further innovation and investment; congratulates all of the partners involved in the launch of Tay Create, and wishes them every success with the programme.

That the Parliament recognises the ground-breaking research carried out into Parkinson’s disease by the team of experts at the University of Dundee’s Faculties of Health and Life Sciences; understands that the university is the central scientific hub of the LRRK2 Investigative Therapeutics Exchange, which is a Michael J Fox Foundation-supported international partnership that brings together academia, industry and clinical centres to accelerate the development of LRRK2-targeted drugs for Parkinson's; celebrates that the international reputation of the research conducted by those based at the university has brought people from 30 nationalities to work in the lab at Dundee; believes that connections with NHS Tayside have ensured that there is a clear bench-to-bedside pathway for their research to enter clinical settings, and thanks the Dundee Research Interest Group for bringing together Parkinson’s researchers, clinicians and those living with Parkinson's with MSPs on a recent fact-finding visit, which it considers was insightful.

That the Parliament celebrates the impact of more than 250 community groups that make up the Climate and Nature Friendly Communities Network, coordinated by charity Keep Scotland Beautiful; recognises the efforts of the network members who improve their neighbourhoods and community green spaces by tackling litter, growing food and plants that support action to combat climate change, and garden in a way that supports nature, biodiversity and the people involved; understands the importance to local economies of the 200,000 volunteer hours committed to making Scotland’s cities, towns and villages more beautiful and sustainable each year; notes the importance of sustaining the capacity to support the network in the future, including through continued support for the organisations, volunteers and programmes that underpin it, and recognises 60 years of the Beautiful Scotland competition, which forms an integral part of the network.

That the Parliament congratulates the recent graduates from the Scottish cohort of the Marks & Start programme; recognises that the Marks & Start programme has been delivered by a partnership between The King’s Trust and Marks & Spencer (M&S) for more than 20 years, helping young people build confidence, develop workplace skills and gain valuable experience with an M&S store; further recognises that, since 2013, more than 1500 young people in Scotland have participated in the programme, with 80% going on to secure a role within M&S; notes that the celebration event on 14 October 2026 brought together young people from Dundee who have recently completed the four-week programme, alongside representatives from both The King’s Trust and M&S, as well as friends and family; further notes that over 90% of the recent cohort have now secured job offers; believes that employability programmes such as Marks & Start can be important to help young people into employment; thanks all at The King’s Trust and colleagues across the participating M&S stores for their work to support young people across Scotland, and wishes all recent graduates of the programme all the best as they progress into the world of work.

That the Parliament recognises the ongoing work of the Scotland wide ‘Rights Here. Rights Now' campaign, a collaborative initiative from JustRight Scotland and the Human Rights Consortium Scotland, with support from Corra Foundation; notes that the campaign uses powerful lived-experience films and stories to demonstrate how human rights connect directly to everyday life, including healthcare, housing, education, family life and access to justice; understands that the campaign seeks to challenge misinformation by reinforcing that human rights are universal protections belonging to everyone; welcomes the campaign’s timely contribution to raising public awareness and building support for a comprehensive Human Rights Bill for Scotland, and commends the civil society organisations, community groups and grassroots groups who continue to amplify voices from communities across Scotland.

That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish Dance Theatre on its 40th anniversary; recognises that, having launched in 1986 as a grassroots community company in the city of Dundee, the Scottish Dance Theatre has grown to become what it considers to be Scotland’s flagship contemporary dance company; applauds the company's continued commitment to community engagement; understands that, under the leadership of Artistic Director Joan Clevillé, the Scottish Dance Theatre’s company has toured nationally and internationally, building an outstanding international reputation while never forgetting its roots in north east Scotland; wishes all at the Scottish Dance Theatre well, ahead of their 40th Gala Performance at the Dundee Rep Theatre on 31 October 2026, and looks forward to its future productions.

That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish Game Developers Association for its work on Games Day 2026, which was held on 25 September at Water’s Edge in Dundee; understands that the event brought together around 250 people from across the video games ecosystem and beyond, including delegates from Puerto Rico who were in attendance to learn more about Scotland’s rich history pertaining to games; notes that the event hosted a number of prominent speakers on a range of different topics, including a panel that featured Dave Jones and five developers from DMA Design, who were the originators of Grand Theft Auto; acknowledges the importance of the video games industry to both the Dundee and wider Scottish economies, and recognises what it sees as Scotland’s significant role in video games history.

That the Parliament congratulates Abertay University on its involvement in the Horizon Europe-funded EmerGO project, a €6.8 million international research initiative bringing together 18 partners from 10 countries to address persistent and emerging pollutants released into the environment by the food and drink industry; notes that Abertay is leading a key strand of the four-year project and focuses on identifying, assessing and prioritising pollutants in industrial wastewater, including microplastics and nanoplastics, Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) , endocrine disruptors, antibiotic residues, disinfectants and detergents; recognises the contribution of Abertay researchers, Professor Alberto Fiore, Dr Kimberley Bennett, Dr Boon Chu Seang and Dr Slim Blidi, in establishing an evidence base to support the development of innovative technologies that can detect, treat and reduce pollution; notes that the project's findings are expected to help protect ecosystems and human health, support more sustainable food and drink production and inform future approaches to industrial pollution management; welcomes Abertay University's leadership in this important international collaboration, and wishes all partners every success with the delivery of the EmerGO project.

That the Parliament congratulates Tayside Mountain Rescue on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; recognises that Tayside Mountain Rescue was formed in Dundee in November 1976 to respond to the growing number of accidents in the hills of Tayside, which were becoming more frequent as the popularity of both hillwalking and climbing increased; understands that Tayside Mountain Rescue has attended to over 1,500 rescues in those 50 years, saving lives and ensuring assistance is available when required; notes that the group of skilled volunteers also increasingly responds to call-outs in response to other accidents, including avalanches and water rescues; remembers fondly Roy Tait, a member of Mountain Rescue in Tayside, who sadly died while climbing in Aberdeenshire in 1981; thanks all involved in Tayside Mountain Rescue both past and present for all they have done to keep the hills, glens and mountains of Tayside safe, and wishes them all the best for their anniversary celebrations.