Chamber and committees

That the Parliament congratulates Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company on its 16th anniversary; recognises what it considers to be the significant contributions that the company has made to reduce waste, create local jobs and training opportunities and provide affordable, high quality, essential furniture to those who need it most; applauds its innovative mattress reuse scheme, which has saved hundreds of mattresses from landfill, and which numerous other charities across Scotland have now also adopted; notes that it is part of Circular Communities Scotland’s Reuse Consortium, which offers local authorities, housing associations and other public sector organisations easy access to a range of quality-assured reuse furniture and white goods from local social enterprises, and acknowledges the role that it plays in enabling communities to access affordable goods with dignity and keeping wealth within the community.

That the Parliament recognises the International Day of Care and Support, which is marked annually on 29 October; believes that the day provides an opportunity to pay tribute to all those who do care work, both paid and unpaid; notes that women make up 79% of the social care workforce and 73% of unpaid carers in Scotland; further notes that the General Assembly of the UN decided to proclaim 29 October as International Day of Care and Support as it wished to recognise and value paid care work and care workers as essential workers and to recognise, reduce, redistribute and value unpaid care work, with full respect for human rights; observes that recognition of care and support is key to achieving gender equality and societal and economic sustainability; recognises that demand for care and support is growing and believes that addressing this demand requires decent and fulfilling work with good terms and conditions in order to avoid crises in care and increased gender inequalities; commends the work of the many organisations across Scotland working to support and improve conditions for care and support staff, and encourages people throughout Scotland to take a moment on this International Day of Care and Support to honour the dedication and skill of all carers, paid and unpaid.

That the Parliament recognises the outstanding work of Haus of Seisay, a Paisley-based Scottish charity founded in 2022 by Thomas Seisay and Tony Seisay, whose experience as adoptive parents inspired them to create an academy dedicated to transforming the futures of care experienced and on-the-edges-of-care young people; acknowledges that Haus of Seisay provides a supportive, person-centred learning environment where young people can work towards recognised SVQ Hairdressing qualifications, gain hands-on industry experience, develop employability skills and build confidence; celebrates the organisation’s achievement in winning the Education Excellence Award at The UK Hair & Beauty Awards, recognising its innovative approach to combining accredited vocational training with mentoring, wellbeing support and opportunities for progression; notes the charity’s success in securing £96,500 from the National Lottery Young Starts Fund to expand its life-changing programmes, enabling more young people from Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Ayrshire and beyond to access accredited training and holistic support; commends the dedication of founders Thomas and Tony Seisay, along with their trustees, staff and industry partners, for their commitment to breaking down barriers, challenging inequality and creating a safe, empowering space where young people can thrive, and applauds Haus of Seisay for its continued contribution to improving outcomes, building independence and offering hope, opportunity and a brighter future for care-experienced young people across Scotland.

That the Parliament notes that Hospice Care Week is taking place from 5 to 11 October 2026, with the theme, Don't leave hospice care to chance, which highlights the inequalities that exist for people across Scotland in accessing end-of-life care; understands that hospice care eases the emotional and physical pain of death and dying, and enables people and their families to focus on living well right up until the end of life; notes that much hospice care takes place in people’s homes, enabling people to stay in familiar surroundings; recognises that Hospice UK reports that nearly one in three people do not get the care that they need at the end of their lives, and that where you live affects your chance of getting the care you need; understands that rising costs and increasing demand and needs are placing a strain on hospices; recognises that adequate and sustainable government funding is essential to enable hospices to meet the challenges facing the healthcare system and to continue providing vital care and support; appreciates the incredible and invaluable work of hospice staff across Scotland, and believes that everyone deserves high-quality hospice care, whoever they are, and wherever they live.

That the Parliament celebrates the opening of Balgray Station, Scotland’s newest rail station; recognises the successful partnership between the Scottish Government, East Renfrewshire Council and other key partners that delivered the station through the Glasgow City Region City Deal; notes that the station promotes accessibility and environmental sustainability by offering step-free access, lifts, secure cycle storage and a car park with electric vehicle charging points; celebrates that residents of Barrhead and nearby communities will now have access to better transport links with Glasgow and the wider rail network; notes that the opening of the station will improve access to jobs, education, leisure and attractions such as Dams to Darnley Country Park, and acknowledges the cultural, economic and environmental benefits of rail travel and the importance of improved public transport links in tackling the climate crisis and achieving net zero targets.

That the Parliament notes that Occupational Health Awareness Week is taking place from 21 to 27 September 2026, with a focus on communicating that occupational health professionals are experts in work and health, and encouraging people to use occupational health early; recognises the importance of integrating occupational health into workplace risk management and organisational decision-making to ensure that wellbeing is promoted, ill-health is prevented and employees are supported with rehabilitation and returning to work; highlights the resources created by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, which enable organisations to strengthen their occupational health management; notes the findings from its recent report, Fixing Sick Britain, which indicated that many workers lack confidence that they would receive adequate support if they experienced a long-term health condition, disability or mental health condition, with only 45% of UK workers currently having access to occupational health provision; notes and appreciates the vital work of Occupational Health professionals and organisations, and recognises their importance within the wider health and social care sector.

That the Parliament congratulates Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Ayrshire on the launch of the 200th Innovative Project funded through the DYW Ayrshire Innovative Projects Fund, which will be launched on 4 September 2026; recognises that the 200th Project will be the Auchenharvie Academy and Greenwood Academy Roofing Project, which is an initiative designed to provide young people with valuable hands-on experience, employability skills, and industry insight through practical construction and roofing activities; considers that more young people will need to be trained in construction skills to help increase Scotland's stock of good quality social housing; believes that the Innovative Projects create meaningful links between education and industry while helping learners develop skills for future learning, life and work; understands that projects have also supported learners with additional support needs, providing opportunities to develop practical, vocational, and employability skills, and celebrates the creative, engaging and innovative learning experiences that strengthen employer engagement and partnership working, and support young people to reach their full potential and move on to positive destinations.

That the Parliament notes that Alcohol Awareness Week is taking place from 6 to 12 July 2026 on the theme of "Alcohol and me"; encourages individuals to check their own drinking levels by undertaking the "Check your drinking" quiz on the Alcohol Change UK website; understands that, in 2024, there were 1,185 alcohol-specific deaths registered in Scotland; recognises that every single life lost to alcohol is a preventable tragedy; highlights the importance of understanding people's lived and living experience of alcohol harm when designing treatment and support services; welcomes Alcohol Focus Scotland's launch of the Alcohol Action Network, which will bring together people from across Scotland who have experience of alcohol harm, whether through their own drinking or through the drinking of someone close to them, and believes that individuals working together to create change will greatly improve outcomes for people who have experienced alcohol harm.

That the Parliament commends the people of Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea, in the steps that they are taking towards gaining independence; understands that the islands of Bougainville and Buka, which make up the region, lie in the northern part of the Solomon Islands, and have a long history of colonial extraction; recognises the difficulties the people of Bougainville have faced in recent years through civil war, pollution from mining, and flooding caused by climate change; supports the wish to end an extractivist model and move to the people of Bougainville profiting from the islands resources; notes reports that following overwhelming support for independence in a referendum in 2019, Bougainville is expected to gain its independence in September 2027; calls on the government of Papua New Guinea to ratify the results of the referendum as a matter of urgency, and looks forward to welcoming Bougainville as the world’s newest country next year.