Chamber and committees

As an amendment to motion S7M-01726 in the name of Gillian Martin (Scotland’s Commitment to International Climate Justice), insert at end “urges the Scottish Government to advocate at COP31 for rapid progress in scaling up the mobilisation of climate finance, with grant-based finance prioritised over loans to ensure that climate-vulnerable countries are not pushed further into debt as they respond to the climate crisis; believes that there is a strong need to drive down domestic demand for fossil fuels combined with the need to decarbonise heating, transport and industry, and highlights that this must happen in order both to meet net zero objectives and to uphold the commitment to climate justice."

That the Parliament congratulates the City of Edinburgh Council on Silverlea being shortlisted in the Housing and Regeneration category of the 2026 SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration; understands that the SURF Awards, delivered by SURF, which is Scotland’s Regeneration Forum in partnership with the Scottish Government, celebrate innovation, achievement and positive impact in the regeneration of communities across Scotland; notes that Silverlea forms part of the wider Granton Waterfront regeneration and has transformed the site of a former care home, riding school and community football club into a mixed-tenure affordable housing development; recognises that the development includes 87 social homes, 52 mid-market rent homes and four homes designed for the City of Edinburgh Council’s Health and Social Care team; acknowledges that the project was designed through community consultation, helping to ensure that local needs and priorities informed its development; welcomes the contribution that affordable housing can make to building stronger, more inclusive communities and supporting wider regeneration; commends everyone involved in the Silverlea project for their work in delivering new homes and contributing to the ongoing regeneration of Granton Waterfront, and wishes the project well ahead of the announcement of the 2026 SURF Awards winners on 10 December 2026.

As an amendment to motion S7M-01376 in the name of Liam Kerr (Consent for Jackdaw and Rosebank), leave out from “believes” to end and insert “notes that the UK Government is due to make a determination on the Jackdaw gas field and the Rosebank oil and gas field; recognises that, in an ever-changing geopolitical climate, there is a real need to consider Scotland's energy security; believes that, in the case of the Jackdaw development, there could be arguments in favour of consent, including lower carbon intensity, improving UK energy security and economic benefits for those communities directly linked to the oil and gas sector that risk being left behind without a strong just transition; further believes, however, that any decision on consent should not delay the transition away from fossil fuels nor the work required to reduce demand for oil and gas; believes that there is a strong need for a greater electrification of heating, transport and industry, an improvement in energy efficiency in homes and an expansion of renewable energy in order to meet net zero objectives, and calls on both the Scottish and UK governments to work together to reduce emissions, drive down demand on fossil fuels and deliver a just transition."

That the Parliament congratulates Edinburgh Trams drivers, Emma White and Jason Moffat, on being selected to represent Edinburgh and Scotland at the European Tram Driver Championship in Warsaw, Poland; understands that the pair secured their places following a rigorous internal selection process and will compete alongside driver trainer, Iain Madden, on 19 September 2026; recognises the skill, concentration, spatial awareness and driving ability required to compete in the championship, which brings together 26 teams from across Europe and Australia; further recognises Edinburgh Trams’ participation in the competition since 2024 and its role in showcasing the talent and professionalism of Edinburgh’s tram drivers, and wishes Emma, Jason and Iain every success as they fly the flag for Edinburgh and Scotland in Warsaw.

That the Parliament recognises the announcement that The Skinny, an Edinburgh-based independent arts and culture magazine, will publish its final edition in September 2026 after 20 years; believes that The Skinny has played an important role in Edinburgh's and Scotland’s cultural life, providing free coverage of music, theatre, film, comedy, art, literature and events; notes the contribution that it has made to promoting Edinburgh’s creative scene, including during the Edinburgh Festival and the Fringe; recognises the economic pressures that the Scottish arts and cultural sector faces, including rising costs and funding pressures; expresses concern at the loss of an important independent publication and the impact that, it believes, this may have on Scotland’s creative industries and independent journalism, and calls on the Scottish Government to set out what support is available to independent cultural publications and to ensure that Scotland’s arts, cultural and independent media sectors are adequately supported.

As an amendment to motion S7M-01114 in the name of Stephen Gethins (Scotland’s Energy Opportunity), insert at end "; recognises that work on this transformation also requires urgent action to reduce demand for fossil fuels through the acceleration of electrification and a focus on energy efficiency measures, such as insulation, in order to reduce carbon emissions and lower energy bills, and further calls for the Scottish Government's Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments to be made more ambitious than the level set out in the recent working paper, which proposed a real-terms cut compared to the 2014 guidance, based on the principle that people should benefit more from the money that companies make from generating, storing and transmitting renewable energy near them."

That the Parliament congratulates the Trinity Academy Model United Nations (UN) team, led by the Secretary General Stef Lesniewska, on its success in participating and winning awards at the fourth Peebles High School Model UN conference (PHSMUN4); recognises the need for opportunities such as Model UN conferences to involve young people in politics and global events from a young age and to help develop their confidence in being active members of the global community, and commends the leadership, team members and accompanying staff on their continued dedication to the development of debating, research and networking skills in preparation for this conference and future conferences.

That the Parliament recognises the work of Professor Ahsan Akram, Dr. Qiang Wang, Dr. David Dorward, Dr. Zhenya Zang, Dr. Sophie Ihuoma and all members of their team across the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian in developing a faster, more affordable method of identifying key genetic changes in lung cancer using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM); acknowledges what it sees as the importance of the funding provided by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Pathological Society in making this achievement possible; further acknowledges that lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and that earlier diagnosis is vital to improving patient outcomes; welcomes the development of a new testing approach that could identify patients eligible for targeted treatments more quickly while reducing reliance on slower, more expensive laboratory testing; understands that the technique also preserves valuable biopsy tissue for further analysis, helping to ease growing pressures on diagnostic services as more cancers are detected through screening programmes; believes that this innovation has the potential to shorten diagnosis times, improve survival rates, reduce pressure on NHS diagnostic pathways and deliver long-term savings through earlier intervention; further believes that Scotland has an opportunity to lead in life-saving medical innovation by supporting the translation of world-leading research into clinical practice, and calls, therefore, on the Scottish Government to recognise the importance of this work, support its continued research and evaluation, and work with NHS Scotland and partners to explore, subject to successful validation and regulatory approval, its adoption to improve patient care, save lives and deliver better value for public money.

As an amendment to motion S7M-00434 in the name of Gillian Martin (Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change), insert at end "; believes that the Parliament has a responsibility to ensure that Scotland plays its part in tackling climate issues, while challenging anti-climate change rhetoric which hinders progress; notes with concern that, despite ambitious targets, Scotland missed its annual emission reduction goals in eight of the last 12 years, leading to the abandonment of the 2030 interim target; calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that the new carbon budget framework is underpinned by credible, costed and deliverable policies across all sectors; notes that, while the Scottish Government published its Climate Change Plan earlier in 2026, further work is required to decarbonise homes, transport, agriculture and industry; recognises the importance of a diverse, secure and low-carbon energy mix; supports an evidence-led approach to the deployment of all low-carbon technologies; calls on the Scottish Government to engage constructively with the UK Government on Scotland's energy future, and affirms that bold political leadership, transparency and accountability are essential if Scotland is to restore credibility and meet its 2045 net zero commitment."

That the Parliament congratulates Spartans FC Women for its return to the Scottish Women’s Premier League top tier following its 2-0 victory over Dundee United; recognises Spartans FC Women and Spartans FC for fostering talent and teamwork at every level of the game, and the Spartans Community Foundation for its important community work in North Edinburgh; notes the importance of empowering women in sport and inspiring the next generation of athletes; congratulates Spartans FC Women’s players, staff and supporters, and wishes them every success in the upcoming season.