Chamber and committees

That the Parliament notes ongoing concerns regarding the impact of the private sale and use of fireworks on communities, animals and public safety and emergency services across Scotland; recognises the distress, fear and potential injury that fireworks can cause to pets, livestock, horses and wildlife, as highlighted by the Scottish SPCA; further recognises the disruption and anti-social behaviour experienced by many communities as a result of the unpredictable use of fireworks over extended periods; notes the view that organised, regulated public displays provide greater opportunities for advance notice, planning and mitigation measures to protect both people and animals; acknowledges reported concerns that the Scottish Parliament's current powers over the regulation of fireworks are limited by the fact that responsibility for the sale of fireworks remains reserved to the UK Parliament; notes calls for fireworks to be sold only to licensed operators for organised and regulated displays, and calls on the Scottish Government to continue pressing the UK Government to introduce legislation ending the general public sale of fireworks and restricting their sale to licensed organisers of regulated community displays or devolve powers to the Scottish Parliament to do so.

That the Parliament applauds the Scottish Government’s winter heating support package; understands that an estimated 1.4 million payments will be made to people across Scotland through what it considers to be a unique package to help people heat their homes this winter; recognises the importance of this support for low-income households and families, pensioners and disabled people; understands that this package guarantees assistance through the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, Child Winter Heating Payment and the Winter Heating Payment, and commends the ongoing actions of the Scottish Government to provide support for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.

That the Parliament applauds the “Wee Read” initiative programme from the Scottish Library and Information Council, in partnership with mental health charities, publishers, booksellers, authors, educators and community organisations, working together to inspire a nation to read, funded by the Scottish Government; believes that it is very important to celebrate and promote reading for pleasure across all corners and age groups in Scotland; urges all MSPs to lead by example and accept the invitation to stop, take a few minutes and enjoy the pleasure of reading on 7 October 2026, joining thousands of people across Scotland, from schools, libraries and workplaces to community groups, families and individuals; appreciates that reading for pleasure can make a significant impact on wellbeing and mental health as well as improving attainment levels across the board for young people; values the role that libraries play in communities every day in providing access to reading materials for all; is aware that Scotland has a rich literary tradition spanning more than 1,400 years, written across English, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Latin, and early Celtic languages, and is proud that Edinburgh was designated the world's first UNESCO City of Literature and hosts major literary celebrations like the Edinburgh International Book Festival and is hopeful that participation in the “Wee Read” will help many discover and rediscover the sheer joy of reading for pleasure as well as acknowledging that it offers a range of benefits such as helping to reduce stress, improving focus and memory and building a more empathetic nation.

That the Parliament congratulates Megan’s Space on securing the accolade of Charity of the Year in the £100k to £500k turnover category at the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) Scottish Charity Awards 2026; applauds the tireless work and commitment of the trustees, volunteers, practitioners and supporters in working to prevent the needless loss of young lives to suicide and reduce self-harm while promoting mental wellbeing for children and young people across Ayrshire; acknowledges the essential support, advocacy and therapeutic services that the charity provides to young people who are unable to access the help that they need through traditional routes, with more than 900 young people supported through counselling sessions in 2025 alone; recognises that the charity was established in 2019 following the death by suicide of Megan Copeland, a 20-year-old student mental health nurse who had struggled for seven years with mental and hormonal dysfunction; notes that, as well as offering support for classic anxiety, low mood and trauma, Megan’s Space is developing expertise in areas such as personality disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder; further notes the charity’s extensive outreach work with local schools, including a school counselling service, exam anxiety workshops and Primary 7 transition workshops, and appreciates that, from its small beginnings as a family’s response to tragedy, Megan’s Space is maturing into a robust, medium-sized charity, recognised and respected as a local organisation that is delivering on its promise to help save lives and improve the mental wellbeing of young people across the county of Ayrshire.

That the Parliament applauds the Scottish Government's investment in Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) across Scotland; celebrates that DYW Ayrshire has reached a major milestone with the launch of its 200th innovative project in September 2026, marking 10 years of investment in the skills and aspirations of young people across Ayrshire; notes that the 200th project, which  launched in Auchenharvie Academy in Stevenston, is a partnership between Auchenharvie Academy, Greenwood Academy and KRB Group, with the AG Roofing Project giving pupils the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the roofing and construction sector; believes  that this is a testament to the success of Scottish Government funding for DYW as part of its youth employment strategy, with investment of over £1 million since 2016, creating valuable opportunities for young people to engage in vocational learning and develop essential enterprise skills within a supportive and inclusive environment, and looks forward to continuing to provide support for young people across Ayrshire to access meaningful opportunities to thrive in their chosen career paths.

That the Parliament congratulates Geco Connect Ltd, based in Stewarton, on its success in the Scottish EDGE Awards to help develop its business; recognises the leadership of Martin Boyle, managing director and founder of Geco Connect, in driving this business forward; understands that Scottish EDGE is Scotland’s largest funding competition and aims to identify and support up-and-coming, innovative, high-growth potential and entrepreneurial talent; believes that Geco Connect’s AI-enabled digital wellbeing platform has huge potential to support Scotland’s residential care and education sector, support SHANARRI reporting (Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, Included), outcome tracking and inspection readiness, representing the application of innovative talent to support those working with some of Scotland's most vulnerable children; further believes that, despite the incredible commitment of care workers, teachers, residential staff and support teams, the administrative burdens can often result in time being taken away from supporting the young people in their care; notes that Geco Connect can help create better outcomes for young people while ensuring leaders have the oversight that they need to provide the regulators with the evidence required, and looks forward to seeing the platform expand its reach across the sector to enable a more integrated approach to working with children in care.

That the Parliament celebrates the success of the Marymass Festival 2026 in Irvine; understands that the festival, which dates back to the Middle Ages, culminated in Marymass Saturday on 22 August 2026; recognises the longstanding contribution of the Irvine Carters' Society, which has helped to lead the celebrations since 1753, and of the Marymass Festival Committee in delivering the annual festival; acknowledges the crowning of the Marymass Queen 2026, Lucy Cardle, and her Royal Party, comprising the four Marys, Taylor Hyndman, Macie Bell, Skye McLardy and Mollie Bell, assisted by page boy, Oliver Masterton; notes that thousands of people attended the festival's programme of events, which included one of Scotland's largest horse-drawn community parades, horse racing, live jousting, the dog show, the greasy pole competition, fireworks, live music and other family activities on Irvine Moor; recognises the importance of Marymass in preserving Irvine's distinct cultural heritage while bringing together people of all ages from across Ayrshire and beyond, and commends everyone involved in organising, supporting and participating in Marymass Festival 2026.

That the Parliament marks the 250th anniversary of the death of David Hume, who died in Edinburgh on 25 August 1776; recognises Hume as one of Scotland’s most influential philosophers and historians and a leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment; notes that he was born in Edinburgh in 1711 to a family with roots in Berwickshire, was educated by his mother following the death of his father when he was three years old, and entered the University of Edinburgh at the age of 11, where he studied Latin and Greek and developed a lifelong interest in history, literature and philosophy; further notes that, while living in France in the 1730s, he wrote A Treatise of Human Nature, which is now regarded as one of the most important works in Western philosophy; acknowledges that his writings on human nature, empiricism and scepticism helped shape modern philosophical thought and continue to influence fields including history, economics, political science and cognitive science; recognises his contribution to Edinburgh’s reputation as a centre of learning through his service as Keeper of the Advocates’ Library and his wider literary and scholarly achievements; considers that his intellectual contributions played a significant role in the development of Enlightenment thought in Scotland and beyond; understands that awareness of Hume’s life and work among the Scottish public remains fairly limited despite his international standing, and encourages renewed efforts to promote understanding of his legacy and of Scotland’s pivotal role in the Enlightenment.

That the Parliament congratulates Montenegro on the 20th anniversary of the restoration of its independence following the referendum of 21 May 2006, in which 55.5% of voters chose a sovereign future for their country; recognises the significant social, economic and democratic progress made by Montenegro over the past two decades; notes that Montenegro became a member of NATO in 2017 and is the leading candidate for future European Union enlargement, with the objective of becoming the 28th member state by 2028; considers that Montenegro has demonstrated the benefits of democratic reform and political stability; recognises the substantial economic and institutional progress achieved since independence, including sustained growth in the tourism and services sectors, significant foreign direct investment, the adoption of the euro as a stable currency and the development of a modern and competitive economy; understands that Montenegro has made notable progress in strengthening democratic institutions, the rule of law and European integration, while achieving significantly higher average wages and GDP per capita than Serbia, from which it gained independence; acknowledges that Montenegro has maintained close cultural ties with Serbia while pursuing its own path as an independent state; believes that Montenegro's achievements since independence represents a notable success story in the Western Balkans, and wishes the people of Montenegro every success as they mark this important anniversary and continue their journey towards full membership of the European Union.

That the Parliament notes reported continuing public concern regarding Fujitsu and its role in the Post Office Horizon scandal, which it considers to be one of the gravest miscarriages of justice in modern British history; understands that public funds have been used to support redress schemes, with £1.44 billion having been distributed to over 11,300 claimants; recognises the pain and suffering caused to the victims of the Horizon scandal through wrongful convictions, loss of livelihoods and reputations, financial hardship and devastating impacts on their lives and families; considers that Fujitsu has a moral responsibility to contribute towards compensation and redress for those affected, and notes concerns that to date it has reportedly made no financial contribution; further notes that the Home Office awarded Fujitsu a contract worth £31.1 million for police network software in June 2026; believes that no new public sector work should be awarded to Fujitsu until it makes a financial contribution to redress schemes.