Chamber and committees

That the Parliament understands that David Arthur, a resident of Newton Mearns, celebrated his 100th birthday on 12 January 2026; notes that, during his working life, David, who was born and brought up in Newton Mearns, was manager in the well-known local Newton Mearns business, Anderson’s car garage; further notes his longstanding dedication to many community organisations and endeavours, most notably the Church of Scotland; celebrates that David has reached this incredible and rare milestone; notes that one of the many fascinating details of David’s long and distinguished life is that he has met every Labour leader since Clement Atlee; celebrates that younger generations of people have learned a great deal from David by knowing the stories from his long and varied life; wishes David the very best for his 100th year, and thanks him for being an inspirational figure to so many people in his local community.

That the Parliament recognises the impact felt by many in Clydebank and West Dunbartonshire at the loss of Clyde Radio, a long-standing media institution that is now moving to a new home in Glasgow city centre; further recognises the importance of sustaining and growing creative, digital and media sector jobs across Scotland’s towns, not only in major cities; acknowledges that Clyde 1 has been a significant cultural and economic presence in Clydebank since 1983, contributing to local employment, community identity and charitable activity, and believes that communities such as these deserve continued investment and opportunities to attract and retain high-quality employment.

That the Parliament commends the team at Loanhead Post Office for their initiative to combat social isolation over the Christmas period; notes that Loanhead Post Office opened its doors on 25 December 2025 for a chat and a spread of Christmas snacks; understands that Loanhead Post Office is continuing its charitable efforts and is now accepting donations for a free hot drink scheme to help those in need, and thanks the staff at Loanhead Post Office for their hard work and commitment to enhancing community spirit in Loanhead.

That the Parliament notes with concern reports that Grok, which is an AI tool integrated with the social media platform, X, has been used to create unlawful, non-consensual sexualised images, including criminal imagery of girls as young as 11, causing significant harm and humiliation to victims; further notes that the UK Government has described X’s decision to limit Grok’s image-editing features to paying subscribers as “insulting” to victims of misogyny and sexual violence, and that charities and experts have warned this represents the monetisation of abuse, rather than its prevention; calls on X to act immediately to remove this harmful feature; condemns what it sees as the failure to implement ethical safeguards and the placing of harmful features behind a paywall; calls on Ofcom to exercise its full powers under the Online Safety Act 2023 to investigate X and Grok, and to take enforcement action, including restricting access in the UK, if compliance is not achieved, and further calls for an urgent review into the use of AI for image manipulation and its role in facilitating gender-based abuse.

That the Parliament welcomes the next phase of the Chapelcross Masterplan, following the announcement that CX Power has been named as the strategic developer to support the delivery of the green energy hub; believes that the programme has the potential to transform the region with plans for hydrogen production, advanced manufacturing and AI-enabled data centres utilising 135 acres of the available land within the unlicensed landholding of the Chapelcross estate, and welcomes the engagement and ongoing collaboration of organisations including the NDA, Nuclear Restoration Services, South of Scotland Enterprise, the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and Dumfries and Galloway Council.

That the Parliament congratulates Gilbert (Gilly) Ferson on being awarded a British Empire Medal in The King’s New Year Honours List for his services to the community in Cambuslang; understands that Gilly has dedicated himself to improving the welfare of older people and the wider community in Cambuslang for over 30 years, volunteering with the LEAP Project, whose board he now chairs; notes that Gilly has also played a pivotal role in many other local charities and associations over the years, including Halfway Tenants Association, North Halfway Hall, Seniors Together and Particip8, and thanks Gilly for his continued work and dedication to supporting his community.

That the Parliament congratulates Buckies Roots, a Buckie community group, on being awarded a Level 5 Certificate of Distinction at the It’s Your Neighbourhood Awards 2025, which is an award scheme run by Keep Scotland Beautiful; believes that this achievement is a well-deserved national recognition for the group’s volunteer-led work to improve and care for local spaces through gardening, environmental enhancement and community involvement; commends the dedication, pride and community spirit shown by everyone involved in Buckies Roots, whose efforts help make Buckie a greener, more welcoming place to live; notes that the It’s Your Neighbourhood initiative supports and celebrates local groups working to improve their neighbourhoods through the values of community participation, environmental responsibility and gardening achievement; thanks all the volunteers who give their time to strengthen community wellbeing and local pride, and wishes Buckies Roots continued success in the years ahead.

That the Parliament welcomes the decision by the Ministry of Defence to award the Arctic Star medal to the crew of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Dasher for their service during Arctic Convoy JW53 in the Second World War; acknowledges that this recognition comes almost 83 years after the sinking of HMS Dasher on 27 March 1943 off the coast of Ardrossan and the Isle of Arran, which resulted in the tragic deaths of 379 men and was the second biggest loss of life in UK inshore waters during the war; understands that there were only 149 survivors of a disaster, which was caused by catastrophic internal explosions and was hushed up by the wartime government and not reported in newspapers for fear of the impact on British morale; believes that the crew’s heroism, despite the hazardous conditions and the ship’s role in protecting the North Atlantic corridor, deserves lasting recognition; welcomes the memorials erected in Ardrossan in 1993 and the plaque laid on the flight deck by divers in 2000, and encourages families of those who served to apply for the Arctic Star medal and contribute to ongoing research into this important incident in Scotland’s wartime history.

That the Parliament congratulates Drew McIntyre on winning the Undisputed WWE Championship, which is the World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) premier world men’s singles title, on 9 January 2026; notes that Drew first made history in 2020 by becoming Scotland’s first WWE men’s champion; recognises what it sees as the significance of a Scottish athlete reaching the highest level of a truly global industry and the pride and positive visibility that this brings to communities across Scotland; acknowledges Scotland’s strong wrestling tradition and the grassroots clubs and promotions that help nurture talent and build confidence, discipline and performance skills; further acknowledges the success of Scottish women in WWE, including champions such as Nikki Cross, Piper Niven, Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn; considers that their achievements, alongside McIntyre’s, show the depth of Scottish talent across the sport; notes the inspiration that this can offer to young people across Scotland, including those who may feel opportunities are limited by geography or circumstance, and further notes the positive attention that major international sporting and entertainment moments can bring to Scotland’s communities, events sector and wider economy.

That the Parliament congratulates Gilded Lily Inspiring Enterprise CIC on the occasion of its 10th anniversary; notes that its aims and objectives are to inspire and empower women and girls, build resilience, community cohesion and integration through learning new skills and activities, increase confidence, positive mental health and wellbeing, reduce isolation and barriers to opportunities, and help them to find their passion and fulfil their potential; understands that some of the programmes include Women 4 Women, an intergenerational skills sharing programme, Home Comforts Cooking, SHE: Supporting Her Empowerment, Crafty Chats and more; commends the board, staff and volunteers for their ongoing hard work and dedication to uplifting the lives of all those who benefit from their services, and wishes them all the very best for the future.