Chamber and committees

That the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee recommends that the Registration of Social Workers and Social Service Workers in Care Services (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2024 [draft] be approved.

That the Parliament has no confidence in the First Minister, in light of his failures in government.

That the Parliament congratulates former Scottish women rugby internationalists, Sandra Colomartino and Sue Brodie, along with Scottish screenwriter, Kim Millar, on the success of their hugely inspiring stage play, 90 Days, which played before sell-out audiences at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh earlier in April 2024, gaining much critical acclaim; notes that it tells what it sees as the inspiring story of how Scotland rescued the 1994 Rugby World Cup, which was originally meant to be hosted by the Netherlands, only to be suddenly cancelled 90 days before the event was due to kick off; understands that Scotland's first-ever captain, Sandra, and full-back, Sue, rescued the tournament in a miraculous turn of events and became the unlikely saviours of the World Cup, following a meeting at Todd's Tap pub in Leith; recognises what it sees as the huge challenges that the women's game faced in the early years, and celebrates what it considers to be the positive changes in women's sport over the three decades since; believes that the uplifting, moving musical lifts a glass to friendship, tenacity, empowerment and love that has inspired Scottish women and girls to take up the sport of rugby, which is now flourishing across the whole of the country, and wishes Sandra and Sue continued success in the knowledge that they had "something inside so strong" and provided the firm foundations for the game to grow both in Scotland and globally.

That the Parliament congratulates Glasgow-born Jasleen Kaur on being shortlisted for 2024's Turner Prize for her artwork, Alter Altar, at Tramway, which is aimed at showcasing her life growing up in Glasgow's Sikh community; notes that the artwork uses a vintage Ford Escort car to represent her father’s first car and his migrant desires; understands that the car blasts snippets of uplifting pop songs referencing freedom and liberation throughout the space; further understands that the exhibition at the Tramway uses family photos, an Axminster carpet, the vintage Ford Escort covered in a giant doily, Irn-Bru and kinetic hand bells; understands that the artist used a range of objects associated with her own family life for her artistic creations in the exhibition, which has been praised by the jury for its evocative combination of sound and sculpture to address specifics of family memory and community struggle; notes that Jasleen previously showcased her work Yoorup at the Victoria and Albert Museum, which looked at popular Indian cinema; understands that what it sees as Britain’s prestigious Turner Prize is celebrating its 40th anniversary and is celebrating the visual art form this year, and wishes Jasleen the best of luck.

That the Parliament commends the launch of a new website to cater to the needs of care experienced young people as they move out of care into adulthood; recognises that the online platform, designed and produced with care experienced young people and the help of local services and supports, offers a comprehensive array of resources, information and connections to support services across the region, with the aim of making the transition easier; believes that the launch of this platform marks a significant milestone in North Lanarkshire’s commitment to supporting care experienced individuals, and recognises what it sees as the importance of providing care experienced young people with a range of comprehensive resources, guidance and services to nurture independence and empower their navigation through the challenges of adulthood with confidence.

That the Parliament congratulates Stonehaven Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) on raising £100,000 towards its new lifeboat station; understands that, in June 2023, Stonehaven RNLI launched a fundraising campaign to raise £50,000 towards its new state-of-the-art lifeboat station; further understands that, to date, it has reached £100,000 with Stonehaven RNLI fundraisers holding a number of events to help raise funds for the new station build, including seven volunteer crew members who took on the Beast Race in September 2023 and raised over £800 for the appeal; acknowledges that, due to Stonehaven RNLI’s success, it has increased its initial target to £125,000; understands that its new station build is estimated to cost around £900,000 and will have a large integrated boat hall, space for training, an operations room, changing and shower facilities, a mechanic’s workshop, a kitchen and a breakout area; considers that lifeboat volunteers at Stonehaven have been saving lives at sea for over 130 years, and that, for the last 10 years, the crew has been launching to rescue from a makeshift lifeboat station, and wishes the volunteer crew and community good luck with their fundraising efforts in 2024.

That the Parliament congratulates the finalists of the Inspiring Aberdeenshire 2024 Awards; understands that these awards are run by Aberdeenshire Council to celebrate people in the Aberdeenshire community who regularly go above and beyond; notes that the finalists have all been nominated by the public and have been volunteering in their local community for many years; understands that Inspiring Aberdeenshire is one of the Council’s biggest annual events with eight categories, including the Aberdeenshire’s Future award, the Inspirational Volunteer award, the Heart of Aberdeenshire Caring award, the Cultural award, the Beautiful Aberdeenshire Environmental award, the Local Hero Courage award, the Community Spirit award and the Inspiring Aberdeenshire Lifetime Achievement award, and wishes the finalists every success at the awards ceremony in September 2024.

That the Parliament congratulates NorthLink Ferries on achieving Gold in the Green Tourism Awards, for its sustainability standards and increased environmental awareness throughout the organisation; understands that NorthLink, based in the Port of Aberdeen, is the only ferry operator to have achieved a Gold rating from the independent body, Green Tourism; notes that the initiatives that led to this Gold rating include the use of eco-lighting across all offices and port flood lighting, captains sailing more efficiently to reduce emissions, washing the terminal with rainwater harvested from the lairage, and animal waste being delivered to local farms for use as fertiliser; further notes that environmental actions taken on vessels include encouraging vehicle drivers to turn off their engines while waiting to board, the removal of single-use plastic cups from all vessels, and recycling bins being provided for passengers on all ships; praises NorthLink Ferries for its work to reduce its environmental footprint, and wishes it well in its work to further the net zero agenda.

That the Parliament congratulates Cove Rangers FC on the launch of its Community Foundation; notes that the aim of the foundation is to use the power of football to motivate and empower those living within South Aberdeen and Portlethen to live happier, healthier and longer lives; further notes that, through providing dedicated resources and focussed support, the programme aims to spark a renaissance in physical exercise among young and old, provide opportunities for people to lead healthier lives, and empower the people within the community to reach their full potential; commends everyone at Cove Rangers for their ongoing efforts to build links within the community and establish partnerships with public and private organisations in order to achieve their ambitious goals, and wishes the foundation every success in its future endeavours.

That the Parliament welcomes the Step Count Challenge by Scottish charity, Paths for All; recognises that the country-wide challenge is designed to motivate teams to walk, wheel or cycle more during the workdays as a means to boost physical activity levels and improve mental health, social connections and overall wellbeing; understands that thousands participate each year, and that, in 2024, the charity is calling on people in workplaces across Lanarkshire to get involved as part of its biggest workplace walking and wheeling challenge; further understands that the 2024 Step Count Challenge runs from 29 April to 23 June 2024 and is made up of teams of five, and that participants can track their activity online to keep them motivated and connected, and understands that the charity is additionally running prize draws with the chance to win vouchers for Go Outdoors and a £1,000 luxury stay at a Macdonald Hotel.