Chamber and committees

That the Parliament celebrates MND Scotland marking its 45th year; recognises the support that MND Scotland provides for people with motor neurone disease and their families; thanks MND Scotland for funding research into MND to find a cure and treatment; notes its partnership with Euan's Guide in developing a tailored version of Euan's Guide for people with MND, and appreciates the campaigning of MND Scotland to better understand the disease.

That the Parliament congratulates Calum Barry, from the Edinburgh Community Link Worker Service, and Edinburgh-based company Grant Westfield on being named Community Link Worker Partnership of the Year 2026 at the Scottish Community Link Worker Network Annual Conference on 22 September; acknowledges that this charity-business partnership delivered crisis grants, clothing support and Christmas gifts to 30 people facing considerable hardship, and celebrates this partnership as an excellent example of the invaluable role and dedication of community link workers across Scotland.

That the Parliament recognises the significant financial pressures faced by families when a child requires hospital care; notes that families can incur substantial costs for travel, food, accommodation and lost income, often at a time of considerable emotional and practical strain; believes that the current reimbursement-based approach can leave families unable to meet costs upfront and can create additional barriers for those facing financial hardship or difficulties navigating the claims process; recognises that families of children requiring regular outpatient treatment can face repeated costs and disruption without receiving support where there is no overnight hospital stay, and calls on the Scottish Government to expand the Young Patients Family Fund, to provide a cash-first approach and to include regular outpatient care, ensuring that families are not pushed further into financial hardship because their child requires hospital treatment.

That the Parliament welcomes the installation of The Knife Angel sculpture, created by Alfie Bradley, in Leith; notes that it is constructed from over 100,000 seized and surrendered blades and aims to raise awareness of the impact that violence has on communities, families and individuals; welcomes the increased number of education and awareness activities organised to highlight and teach young people about the consequences of carrying a weapon; encourages youth and community engagement in the project and its message of renouncing violence; recognises the sculpture's impact as a memorial to lives lost by knife crime, and acknowledges the continued work being done by local communities in reducing violent crime.

That the Parliament welcomes the 21st Abbeyhill Colony of Artists festival; notes that since its inception in 2005, artists have welcomed people into their homes to showcase their artwork and creativity to the benefit of the community; congratulates organisers and participants on the festival's growth into a regular and well-loved event; thanks everyone for their involvement in the festival, and acknowledges that the 2026 festival is being held in remembrance of Brian McFeely, who was a long-time contributor to the Lothian Cat Rescue shop mural.

As an amendment to motion S7M-01003 in the name of Angela Constance (Improving Lives Through Delivering for Scotland), insert at end "; notes the reported concerns raised by workers, patients and communities regarding the proposed centralisation of NHS services; calls for assurances that there will be no compulsory redundancies or loss of frontline services as a result of the scrapping of regional health boards, and further calls on the Scottish Government to urgently publish further information on Integration Joint Board reform, the responsibilities of the proposed two strategic health boards and how responsibility for local service delivery will be managed".

That the Parliament recognises the extraordinary life, career and philanthropic contribution of Dolly Parton, whose work as a musician, songwriter, author, businesswoman and philanthropist has had a positive impact on millions of people around the world; notes that, through the Dollywood Foundation, Dolly supported educational opportunities for young people, including the Buddy Program, which reduced the dropout rate among the participating classes in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee, from 35% to 6%; recognises the remarkable contribution of her Imagination Library, which provides free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five and has now gifted more than 300 million books worldwide across the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland and Australia; further recognises her commitment to education through Dollywood’s GROW U programme, which provides eligible employees with 100% free tuition and covers fees and required books and supplies; acknowledges her significant contribution to medical research and healthcare, including her $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2020, which supported COVID-19 research contributing to the development of a vaccine, as well as her $1 million donation to the Paediatric Cancer Program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital in honour of her niece, Hannah Dennison; recognises her compassion and generosity following natural disasters, including through the My People Fund, which provided $1,000 per month for six months to families who lost their homes in the 2016 East Tennessee wildfires, as well as funding for the wider recovery effort, ultimately providing $12.5 million in assistance; further recognises her response to Hurricane Helene in 2024, when she personally donated $1 million to the Mountain Ways Foundation, with her donation matched by the Dollywood Foundation and her other businesses; celebrates Dolly's enduring commitment to literacy, education, healthcare and disaster relief, and commends her for using her success and influence to improve the lives of children, families and communities, while inspiring generations through her music, generosity, kindness and belief in the transformative power of education.

That the Parliament notes with concern the latest hate crime charge statistics published by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), which report that there were 7,115 charges with at least one hate crime element in 2025-26, an increase of 17% on the previous year and the highest number recorded since comparable records began in 2003-04; recognises that 3,990 charges were race aggravated, an increase of 17% and the highest number recorded in 11 years; further recognises that 2,062 charges involved a sexual orientation aggravator, an increase of 20%, while 1,370 charges involved a disability aggravator, an increase of 25%; notes that hate crime charges also include aggravations relating to religion, transgender identity, age and variations in sex characteristics; acknowledges that 94% of hate crime charges resulted in prosecutorial action during the reporting year; recognises the potential impact that hate crime has on individuals, families and communities across Scotland, particularly those who may already feel vulnerable or marginalised; notes the introduction of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, which included new offences of stirring-up hatred, that came into force in 2024; recognises that increased reporting and awareness may contribute to the rise in recorded hate crime; stresses that every reported incident can represent significant harm to individuals and communities, and calls on the Scottish Government to continue working with Police Scotland, COPFS, local authorities, community organisations and affected communities to prevent hate crime, improve reporting and victim support, and ensure that everyone in Scotland can live free from hatred, intimidation, prejudice and discrimination.

That the Parliament recognises July as Disability Pride Month; celebrates the contributions, achievements and leadership of disabled people across Scotland; acknowledges the invaluable work of disabled people's organisations, including Inclusion Scotland, Disability Equality Scotland and many others, in advancing equality, accessibility, independent living and disabled people's rights; recognises the importance of the social model of disability and Scotland's commitment to implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; believes that Disability Pride Month provides an opportunity to challenge stigma, discrimination and barriers to participation, and reaffirms its commitment to building a Scotland where disabled people can participate fully in all aspects of society with dignity, equality and respect.

That the Parliament celebrates World Seabird Day on 3 July and recognises that Scotland is home to some of the most important seabird colonies in the world, including the gannets of the Bass Rock; understands that seabirds are under serious pressure and face many threats, including climate change, and that Scotland has a particular responsibility for their protection; recognises the importance of offshore wind in responding to climate change; believes that offshore wind developments should be sited in the right places to limit harm to wildlife, fisheries and communities; notes the reported widespread concerns raised by communities and the public regarding the proposed Berwick Bank wind farm; further notes claims that it could cause the death of tens of thousands of protected seabirds, including puffins, gannets and guillemots, and push species such as kittiwakes towards national extinction; agrees that actions for climate and nature must go hand in hand and that there is no way to compensate for this scale of ecological loss, and believes that better sited, less damaging offshore wind developments must be championed instead.