Chamber and committees

That the Parliament congratulates several young curlers from Moray on their successes at recent national competitions; understands that Elgin Academy pupil, Lillia Clarke, won the Scottish Junior Championships in Aberdeen in November 2025, alongside her teammates as part of Team Archibald, as well as the Under-21 Slam Series in January 2026; further understands that Fraser Rankin, also from Elgin, won the Scottish Pairs Championships in Stranraer in March 2026, alongside his curling partner from Kinross; recognises the increasing popularity of curling and the growing successes of young curlers from across Moray; believes that the Elgin Ice Rink, which was saved from closure in September 2025, will play a critical role in developing the next generation of curlers, and wishes every young curler from Moray and across the Highlands and Islands region well for future competitions.

That the Parliament congratulates Olivia Watson of Douglas Academy on being one of two finalists in 2026's Scottish Schools’ Young Writer of the Year competition; further congratulates Amy Valentine of St Peter the Apostle High School on being commended; understands that the competition is held every year by the charity, Young Programme, and is open to all pupils in Scottish schools who are between the ages 15 and 18; congratulates Olivia and Amy on this fantastic achievement, and commends them both for their hard work.

That the Parliament celebrates the return of the Heritage and Hope sculpture to Springburn railway station after more than 20 years in storage; understands that the bronze statue, created by the artist, Vincent Butler in 1989, depicts a railway worker and his daughter and serves as a powerful symbol of Springburn’s proud locomotive-building heritage and its aspirations for the future; commends the tireless efforts of local artist, Mandy McIntosh, in partnership with Network Rail, ScotRail, Springburn Shopping Centre and Springburn Unity Network in ensuring that the sculpture was preserved and restored; notes that the sculpture has been installed in a prominent position on platform one, where it will be seen by tens of thousands of passengers every year; acknowledges what it sees as the importance of public art in reclaiming local history and fostering community pride, and wishes the people of Springburn continued success in their ongoing efforts to preserve and celebrate the area’s unique industrial and cultural history.

That the Parliament congratulates a care home service for autistic adults in Alloa that has been commended by inspectors for delivering warm, person-centred support that is transforming lives; understands that Scottish Autism’s central Scotland area services supported accommodation, based at Hilton House in Alloa Business Park, was visited by the Care Inspectorate during an unannounced inspection completed on 23 January 2026; believes that the service, which supports 26 autistic adults in small, community-based homes and one bespoke care home, was rated very good for people’s wellbeing, the quality of its setting and how care and support are planned; acknowledges that inspectors reported that staffing levels were consistently strong and that staff showed “strong motivation to deliver high quality care and support”, with leaders and frontline staff displaying “very good values”; notes that people using the service were seen experiencing “consistently warm, respectful, and nurturing interactions with staff”, and that the values of the organisation were found to be “clearly embedded in practice”, resulting in person-centred and responsive support, and wishes everyone involved, including staff, service users, friends and relatives, all the very best for the future.

That the Parliament congratulates Bangin’ Pizza on being shortlisted for the Scotland’s Best Pizzeria category at the Scottish Italian Awards; understands that the Scottish Italian Awards aim to bring together the very best of Scotland’s Italian community; recognises that the awards are now in their 12th year; notes that Bangin’ Pizza opened its third store in Clydebank in 2025; celebrates the team at Bangin’ Pizza on this fantastic achievement, and wishes everyone involved all the best for the finals.

That the Parliament congratulates Andiamo Milngavie on being shortlisted in the Scotland’s Best Restaurant in the West category at the Scottish Italian Awards; understands that these awards aim to bring together the very best of Scotland’s Italian community; notes that the coveted Best Restaurant award will be judged by an expert panel, including celebrity chefs and leading figures from Scotland’s Italian-influenced culinary scene; understands that the awards are now in their 12th year; celebrates Andiamo Milngavie on what it sees as this fantastic achievement, and wishes it all the best for the finals.

That the Parliament recognises what it sees as the importance of creating stronger, better connected and more resilient communities across Scotland, including in Falkirk West constituency; understands that ScottishPower, SSE, Scottish Water and Openreach have set out plans to invest £46 billion in Scotland’s infrastructure between 2025 and 2030, which, it considers, is an unprecedented level of investment; believes that this investment in electricity, water and digital infrastructure will unlock economic growth, injecting more than £32 billion into the Scottish supply chain and supporting more than 27,000 jobs; considers that growing the workforce of the future is a key element of success to maximise early career, retraining and upskilling opportunities to ensure the right people, skills and expertise are in place right across industry to deliver; welcomes the commitment by these companies that communities will be at the heart of the investment plans, with, it understands, around £350 million of community benefit to deliver lasting positive impacts; notes a commitment from the companies to working with local people to deliver the best possible outcomes that focus on progress for the greater good; understands that the environment will also be a key consideration with projects taking a nature positive approach that will see more than 14,700 hectares of land restored to nature, which, it believes, is the equivalent of more than 20,000 football pitches; considers that it is important to ensure that a nature positive approach is central to these plans, and looks forward to this investment being delivered in the very near future.

That the Parliament congratulates Kirkcaldy Parkrun on reaching its landmark 500th event; notes that Kirkcaldy Parkrun, held weekly in Beveridge Park, has been a free, volunteer-led 5k event since its inaugural run on 14 February 2015, which welcomed 264 participants and 15 volunteers; celebrates that, since then, an extraordinary 11,913 participants and 1,166 volunteers have taken part across 498 events; understands that the most recent event on 21 March 2026 saw 282 participants supported by 43 volunteers, including 10 high-energy marshals and seven pacers, whose encouragement and pacing efforts helped many runners achieve new personal bests; acknowledges that Kirkcaldy parkrun will, upon reaching its 500th event, qualify for its official blue milestone merchandise, a symbol of longevity and community commitment across the global parkrun network, and notes that Kirkcaldy Parkrun is part of the wider Parkrun movement, which provides free, fun and friendly weekly 5k runs, which are open to all ages and abilities.

That the Parliament congratulates Rabi Maharajan and all the staff of De Buddha Authentic Nepalese Restaurant and Bar on their success in winning the Unsung Hero of the Year 2025 for the Nepalese Community at the South Asian Network Awards; understands that the restaurant, which opened in Johnstone in November 2023, has received acclaim from critics in the past, with it receiving not only Best Dining Experience at the Scottish Hospitality Awards in June 2025, but also Best Nepalese Restaurant at the Scottish Spice Awards in September 2025; commends Rabi and his hardworking staff on their deserved awards for all the continued hard work and passion that they put into their fantastic cuisine, and hopes that they enjoy many more successes in the future.

That the Parliament celebrates the 125th anniversary of the Royal Albert Cycling Club based in Larkhall; acknowledges that the club's founding was closer to the invention of the bicycle than to today; recognises that the club is still thriving with over 70 adults in the Royal Albert Cycling Club and over 200 young people in the junior section, and wishes the club the best for its continued expansion and passion for cycling as a fun way of staying active at all ages in South Lanarkshire.