Where the text of a motion or amendment is altered, the motion or amendment is re-printed with the changes marked by asterisks in the text.

Where a motion or amendment attracts additional support after it is first published, that additional support is shown separately at the end of this section.

Motions eligible for consideration for debate as members’ business in the Parliament are marked with a hash symbol (#).

Motions submitted for members’ business in the Parliament but which have not yet received the requisite cross-party support are marked with a diamond symbol (♦).

Motions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an "R".

An indication is also provided where motions and amendments have been withdrawn.

A full list of current motions is available to view each Monday in paper copy at the Chamber Desk or alternatively on the Scottish Parliament web site at Current Motions

(http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/motionsAndAmendments/motions.htm). A search facility is also available on the Scottish Parliament web site at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/motionsAndAmendments/index.htm

New and altered motions and amendments

* S3M-5687 Marlyn Glen: First Female Chief Constable in Tayside, Second in Scotland—That the Parliament congratulates Tayside Police on the appointment of the first female Chief Constable in Tayside and second in Scotland; further congratulates Chief Constable Justine Curran, and is confident that this will mark yet another step towards the fair and equal representation of women in the leading positions in public services in Scotland.

* S3M-5686 Sandra White: Glasgow from Strength to Strength—That the Parliament congratulates Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB) on being shortlisted for the M&IT Industry Awards, the oldest established awards programme in the meetings industry, to take place on 22 February 2010 in London; recognises the great work done by all the staff at GCMB in contributing to Glasgow’s success as one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in Europe, and wishes them all further success at the forthcoming M&IT Industry Awards.

Supported by: Anne McLaughlin*, Kenneth Gibson*

S3M-5685 Karen Whitefield: Helpin’ Haiti, Congratulations to Caitlin Currie—That the Parliament congratulates Caitlin Currie, a primary seven pupil at Tollbrae Primary School in Airdrie, on her work in raising money for the Haiti appeal; notes that Caitlin has enlisted the assistance of her dance teacher, school staff and her peers to put together a musical extravaganza, Helpin’ Haiti, that will be performed twice on Sunday 28 February 2010 at Glasgow Fort; commends Caitlin for her drive, initiative and enterprise in enlisting a team of helpers and performers in order to send financial aid to Haiti, and wishes Caitlin Currie and Tollbrae Primary School every success in their fundraising efforts.

S3M-5684 Christina McKelvie: Alleged Discrimination Against Asylum Seekers at UKBA—That the Parliament expresses deep concern at allegations by whistleblower Louise Perrott of a culture at the UK Border Agency (UKBA) of hostility and discrimination towards asylum seekers, openly expressed anti-immigration and anti-asylum seeker views and disbelief and humiliation of asylum applicants; is further concerned that Ms Perrott was able to make legally binding decisions on the granting and refusal of asylum and on detention of individuals and families after only five weeks’ training, and endorses the call of Keith Vaz MP, chair of the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, for an immediate and full investigation into the practices and cultures of management and staff at the UKBA.

Supported by: Anne McLaughlin*, Kenneth Gibson*

S3M-5683 Dave Thompson: Gaelic Promotion, Not Proscription—That the Parliament deplores the statements made by Highland Labour Councillor Deirdre Mackay that condemned Highland Council’s efforts to provide accommodation and teaching for pupils in Gaelic-medium schools and considers them ill-informed; distances itself from her criticisms of efforts to support one of Scotland’s native tongues, which many view as having suffered discrimination for centuries; condemns her negative comments toward Gaelic plans introduced by the previous Labour/Liberal Democrat-led Scottish Executive; calls on Labour MSPs to disassociate themselves from what could be viewed as thinly disguised racism; supports promotion of Gaelic, not proscription, and congratulates Highland Council for working to increase provision of Gaelic-medium education at schools across the Highlands.

Supported by: Willie Coffey*, Brian Adam*, Stuart McMillan*, Michael Matheson*, Kenneth Gibson*, Alasdair Allan*, Bill Kidd*, Aileen Campbell*

S3M-5682 Robert Brown: United Kingdom Supreme Court—That the Parliament notes that the United Kingdom Supreme Court, established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, commenced its duties on 1 October 2009 and took over the previous jurisdiction of the (a) House of Lords as a court of final appeal in Scottish civil cases and (b) Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for devolution issues; welcomes the publication of the report, Final Appellate Jurisdiction in the Scottish Legal System, by Professor Neil Walker, which followed a request by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to examine the issue; considers that the issue of final appellate jurisdiction must be considered in the context of the broader constitutional settlement across the various parts of the UK; recognises that the UK Supreme Court now has a significant constitutional law function; welcomes in particular the option for restructuring the UK Supreme Court as a final appeal court along quasi-federal lines, which is described by Professor Walker as "the most acute in its diagnosis and most sensitive to the relevant values at stake"; notes that the report recommends this option as being the most attractive reform option under the present constitutional settlement, and urges the UK and Scottish governments to take forward the development of the UK Supreme Court in this fashion as best matching the needs of the Scottish legal system and the citizens whom it serves.

S3M-5681 Trish Godman: Scottish Parliamentary Commissions and Commissioners etc. Bill—That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Scottish Parliamentary Commissions and Commissioners etc. Bill.

S3M-5680 Stewart Maxwell: Girl Guiding UK Stamps Issue—That the Parliament is pleased to note that, on the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Girl Guide movement and ahead of World Thinking Day 2010 on 22 February, the Royal Mail has issued a series of stamps celebrating Girl Guiding; recognises the importance of the Girl Guiding movement for girls over the years and the relevance of Guiding for girls today, and congratulates all those volunteers who give up their time to devote to this excellent organisation.

Supported by: Brian Adam, Rob Gibson, Hugh Henry, Stuart McMillan, Jackson Carlaw, Nanette Milne, Elaine Smith, Sandra White, David Whitton, Jamie Stone, Joe FitzPatrick, Karen Whitefield, Bob Doris, Ian McKee, Bill Kidd, Mike Pringle, Dr Richard Simpson, Aileen Campbell, Trish Godman, John Scott, Shirley-Anne Somerville*, Jackie Baillie*

S3M-5679 Margaret Mitchell: Report on Female Offenders in the Criminal Justice System—That the Parliament notes the conclusions and recommendations contained in the Equal Opportunities Committee’s 3rd Report 2009 (Session 3): Female offenders in the criminal justice system (SP Paper 332).

Supported by: Marlyn Glen

S3M-5678 Marlyn Glen: Scotland’s First Dedicated Cancer Research Centre Launched in Dundee—That the Parliament notes that Dundee, City of Discovery, has been chosen as the location for the historic launch of Scotland’s first dedicated cancer research centre; recognises that this centre of excellence is the first of a group of related cancer research centres across the United Kingdom; commends the development as a means for cancer patients across Scotland to benefit from world-class research and medical expertise, which is intended to increase the pace of vital breakthrough discoveries in the treatment of cancer by bringing together researchers and clinicians; applauds the work of Cancer Research UK for offering fresh hope for patients suffering from bowel, breast and skin cancer, including research into malignant melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, which claimed the lives of more than 170 Scots last year; further notes that £7.5 million will be invested each year by Britain’s main cancer charity and will, for the first time, unite leading biomedical researchers at Dundee University, Cancer Research UK and clinicians at NHS Tayside, and recognises that the launch of the new centre coincides with World Cancer Day 2010.

Supported by: Dr Richard Simpson, Cathy Peattie*, Bill Kidd*, Joe FitzPatrick*, Mary Mulligan*, Kenneth Gibson*, Bill Butler*, Malcolm Chisholm*, James Kelly*, David Whitton*

S3M-5677 Cathy Peattie: Civil Service Compensation Scheme—That the Parliament recognises the essential work done by civil servants across all Scottish and UK government departments; considers that, without the dedication and professionalism of civil servants, government would be unable to function effectively; therefore expresses deep concern at proposed changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, published by the Cabinet Office, that would leave many civil servants worse off in the event of voluntary or compulsory redundancy; is concerned that such a change could lead to civil servants losing over 50% of their redundancy entitlement; believes that the UK and Scottish governments should be looking, during these difficult times, to protect those who have given loyal service over a large number of years, and urges the UK Government to re-examine these proposals urgently before they are implemented.

S3M-5676 Irene Oldfather: Dementia 2010, Better Funding for Alzheimer’s Research—That the Parliament welcomes the publication of the report, Dementia 2010, by the Alzheimer’s Research Trust; notes that the report estimates that dementia currently costs £23 billion in the United Kingdom, with £12 billion of this being met by unpaid carers supporting people with dementia at home; is concerned by the findings that, per person, dementia costs twice as much as cancer and three times as much as heart disease, yet, for every £1 that is spent on dementia research, £15 is spent on heart disease and £26 is spent on cancer research; agrees that, with an aging population, dementia represents one of the greatest medical challenges for the 21st century and research should therefore be appropriately funded; supports Alzheimer Scotland’s proposal for a change fund of £15 million per year over the next five years to assist local authorities and NHS boards to direct resources into early intervention and personalised support for people with dementia and their carers; believes that this change fund should form part of the forthcoming national dementia strategy; notes the recent appointment of Professor Alistair Burns as national dementia tsar responsible for leading the UK Government’s dementia strategy in England, and calls on the Scottish Government to appoint an equivalent tsar in Scotland not only to provide leadership and co-ordination for the dementia strategy in Scotland, but also to ensure that the rights of people with dementia and their carers are championed across the public and private sector.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Rhona Brankin, Hugh Henry, Ms Wendy Alexander, Elaine Smith, Bill Butler, Cathy Jamieson, Robert Brown, Mary Mulligan, James Kelly, Trish Godman, Bill Kidd, Dr Richard Simpson*

S3M-5675 Hugh Henry: Congratulations to St Mirren FC—That the Parliament congratulates St Mirren Football Club for reaching the final of the Co-operative Insurance Cup; recognises that this is St Mirren’s first major cup final appearance in 23 years and its first appearance in the final of this competition, the League Cup, for over 54 years; congratulates manager Gus MacPherson and the players for their success; acknowledges the commitment of the board of directors; applauds the loyal fans of St Mirren FC, and looks forward to a terrific final at Hampden Park on 21 March 2010.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Stewart Maxwell, Des McNulty*, Mary Mulligan*, Karen Gillon*, Kenneth Gibson*, Aileen Campbell*, Ms Wendy Alexander*, Bill Butler*, Malcolm Chisholm*, Jamie McGrigor*

S3M-5674 Jack McConnell: His Excellency Dr Bingu Wa Mutharika and the African Union—That the Parliament congratulates His Excellency Dr Bingu wa Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi, on his election by the General Assembly of the African Union to serve as Chairperson of the African Union; notes that President Mutharika is the first Malawi head of state to hold this honour since the formation of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963 and its successor body, the African Union, in 2002; shares President Mutharika’s ambition to "move the continent from poverty to prosperity and to position it as an effective player in the global arena"; wishes him every success in his term of office, and looks forward to Scotland and Malawi continuing to work together to support Malawi and Africa’s development.

Supported by: Hugh O’Donnell, Pauline McNeill, Ross Finnie, Jackie Baillie, Jamie Hepburn, Mike Pringle, Hugh Henry, Dave Thompson, Liam McArthur, Patricia Ferguson, Brian Adam, Sandra White, Elaine Murray, Ted Brocklebank, Elaine Smith, David Whitton, Des McNulty, Murdo Fraser, Bill Butler*, Karen Gillon*, John Park*, Dr Richard Simpson*

S3M-5673 John Swinney: Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill: Financial Resolution—That the Parliament, for the purposes of any Act of the Scottish Parliament resulting from the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill, agrees to any increase in expenditure of a kind referred to in paragraph 3(b)(iii) of Rule 9.12 of the Parliament’s Standing Orders arising in consequence of the Act.

S3M-5672 David Stewart: Ure Elder Fund Transfer and Dissolution Bill—That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Ure Elder Fund Transfer and Dissolution Bill and that the Bill should proceed as a Private Bill.

S3M-5670 Kenneth Gibson: Congratulations to Brisbane Primary School, Largs—That the Parliament congratulates Brisbane Primary School, Largs, on achieving an Eco-Schools First Green Flag award; believes that this excellent achievement is down to the hard work and enthusiastic commitment of well motivated children and staff; understands that the school was able to integrate many facets of the Eco-Schools programme into the excellent work already going on in class; further understands that the programme was used as a vehicle to help Brisbane Primary School deliver the Curriculum for Excellence and health promotion work to a very high standard; notes that each class has its own area of eco-responsibility and special environmental topics; appreciates the full involvement of the school’s contacts, such as parents, local businesses, community and many environmental agencies, and looks forward to Brisbane Primary School achieving a second flag in 2011.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Stuart McMillan, Anne McLaughlin, Bill Kidd, Aileen Campbell, Jamie Hepburn, Ross Finnie*

S3M-5669 Anne McLaughlin: Disasters Emergency Committee—That the Parliament commends the work of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) in providing humanitarian aid to the victims of the Haitian earthquake; acknowledges that the DEC, an umbrella organisation for humanitarian aid agencies in Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom, consists of Action Aid, the British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Help the Aged, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision; considers that, at times of overseas emergency, the DEC brings together a unique alliance of aid, corporate, public and broadcasting sectors to rally the public’s compassion and ensure that funds raised go to the DEC agencies that are well placed to deliver effective and timely relief to people most in need; believes that the DEC in Scotland could not provide vital aid to those in need without the remarkable generosity shown by the Scottish people in their response to this and many other disasters, and hopes that the public and civic society will continue to give whatever they can afford to the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal to fund the essential aid required to meet both immediate need and to help rebuild people’s lives and livelihoods in Haiti in the longer term.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Elizabeth Smith, Nanette Milne, Christopher Harvie, Joe FitzPatrick, Bill Kidd, Jackie Baillie, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Patricia Ferguson, Elaine Murray, Robert Brown, Trish Godman, Jack McConnell*, Karen Gillon*, John Park*

S3M-5668♦ Stuart McMillan: Community Service Assistance—That the Parliament recognises the work carried out during the recent adverse weather conditions by offenders given community service orders; understands that tasks were completed satisfactorily and with obvious community benefit, and would welcome introduction of a similar scheme, where possible, with those people carrying out community service orders assisting to clear out watercourses and culverts where communities such as Greenock and other areas in Inverclyde have been at risk of flooding.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Alasdair Allan, Brian Adam, Bob Doris, Jamie Hepburn, Aileen Campbell, Robin Harper

S3M-5667 Jim Tolson: HMS Illustrious Arrives at Rosyth Dockyard—That the Parliament welcomes the arrival of the Royal Navy flagship, HMS Illustrious, to Rosyth Dockyard in Fife for a £40 million maintenance and upgrade programme; believes that this is recognition of the excellent skills of the workforce at Babcock; notes that the Ministry of Defence contract with Babcock for work on HMS Illustrious will provide continued employment for about 300 people until August 2011; further notes that this essential maintenance will ensure that the carrier can continue in service until the second new carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, is in service, and understands that the work will make the ship and its crew more environmentally efficient in the future.

Supported by: Jim Hume, Mike Pringle, Hugh O’Donnell, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5666 Hugh Henry: The Future of Royal Mail—That the Parliament believes that the public service ethos of Royal Mail and its staff should be reflected in the new leadership of Royal Mail; further notes that the Hooper review on the future of Royal Mail agreed that the pension fund deficit had to be addressed if the company was to have a future; further understands that the deficit can be addressed under existing legislation; welcomes the recognition by Lord Mandelson that the UK Government has a moral obligation to fund the deficit, and believes that this should be resolved as a matter of urgency.

Supported by: Ms Wendy Alexander, Ken Macintosh, Margaret Curran, Mr Frank McAveety, Elaine Smith, Patricia Ferguson, Marlyn Glen, Des McNulty, Mary Mulligan, Cathy Peattie, Trish Godman, Bill Butler, Elaine Murray

S3M-5661# Linda Fabiani: Hands up for Young Trad Ambassadors—That the Parliament recognises the worth of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year competition’s finalists for musical excellence, as ambassadors for their nation’s culture and heritage and contributors to the wellbeing, both economic and social, of Scotland; notes that the competition is celebrating its tenth anniversary and congratulates the 2010 winner, Daniel Thorpe, along with previous winners, Gillian Frame, Emily Smith, Anna Massie, James Graham, Stuart Cassells, Shona Mooney, Catriona Watt, Ewan Robertson and Ruaridh Macmillan, and thanks the BBC, Simon Thoumire and the TMSA for the work carried out in organising both the competition and the resultant Young Trad Tours.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Bill Kidd, Anne McLaughlin, Stuart McMillan, Sandra White, Liam McArthur, Tavish Scott, Ross Finnie, Ken Macintosh, Kenneth Gibson, Jim Tolson, Hugh O’Donnell, Willie Coffey, Mary Scanlon, Hugh Henry, John Wilson, Pauline McNeill, Ted Brocklebank, Robin Harper, Stewart Maxwell, Rob Gibson, Ian McKee, Mike Pringle, Cathy Peattie, Maureen Watt, Elaine Smith, Shirley-Anne Somerville*, Michael Matheson*

S3M-5660 Helen Eadie: Familial Arrhythmia Network for Scotland—That the Parliament warmly welcomes the launch of the Familial Arrhythmia Network for Scotland (FANS), a national managed clinical network designed to assist with the management of people with primary electrical diseases at risk of sudden cardiac death and their families; notes that around 50 young people are killed suddenly by familial arrhythmias annually and that this has a devastating impact on families right across Scotland; notes that, for those living with the associated risk of sudden cardiac death, a diagnosis of this nature is extremely worrying for the patient and relatives; believes that services for these patients in the past has been, at best, patchy; considers that the network will provide a mechanism to assist these patients and their families at the time that they need it most by defining and agreeing referral protocols, developing national guidelines for clinical and genetic testing and establishing a national register of people with these conditions, and urges all MSPs to be aware that, with good management, many of these sudden deaths are preventable and to direct constituents who are affected by these conditions to FANS services, which are based in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee.

Supported by: Johann Lamont

S3M-5659 Stuart McMillan: Port Glasgow Pupils Receive Diana Certificate of Excellence—That the Parliament congratulates the pupils of Port Glasgow High School and St Stephen’s High School who have received the prestigious Diana Certificate of Excellence award; notes that six pupils from each school received the award for setting up a Connect Leadership Group in May 2009 to teach 20 S1 pupils the core values of respect, integrity, inspiration and perseverance; considers that all of those who received the award are role models for future generations, and hopes that many more pupils can follow in their footsteps.

Supported by: Bill Wilson, Bob Doris, Jackson Carlaw, Alasdair Allan, Stewart Maxwell, Ross Finnie, Aileen Campbell, Jack McConnell

S3M-5658 Alison McInnes: Daniel Thorpe, Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2010—That the Parliament congratulates Daniel Thorpe, originally from Inverurie, on winning the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2010 award; notes that the prize will see him take part in a tour organised by the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland as well as recording an album, and wishes him the best of luck for his future career in music.

Supported by: Jack McConnell

S3M-5657 Des McNulty: West Dunbartonshire Council Reserves—That the Parliament considers that the level of reserves now being held by West Dunbartonshire Council is irresponsibly low, following the budget set by the SNP administration, is not in line with Accounts Commission for Scotland guidance and leaves the council ill-equipped to meet future financial challenges or protect frontline services and jobs.

S3M-5656 James Kelly: Well Done to Rutherglen Rotary Club—That the Parliament congratulates the Rutherglen Rotary Club for its outstanding efforts in raising money for the End Polio Now project, which is part of Rotary International’s campaign to eradicate polio, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and applauds all members of the Rutherglen Rotary Club for their excellent contribution to the local community.

Supported by: Jack McConnell, Jamie McGrigor*

S3M-5655 Christine Grahame: Hepatitis C Trust Opens Office in Scotland—That the Parliament congratulates the Hepatitis C Trust on opening its new office in Scotland; recognises that an estimated 25,000 people have been diagnosed with hepatitis C in Scotland, but, alarmingly, it is estimated that a further 25,000 people with the disease remain undiagnosed; acknowledges that Scotland is leading the way in the United Kingdom and is at the forefront of action in Europe in tackling hepatitis C; notes that, in September 2008, the Scottish Government was the first government worldwide to sign up to implement the World Hepatitis Alliance’s campaign, chronic viral hepatitis 12 Asks for 2012, a series of requests from over 200 patient groups worldwide for governments to commit to measures to tackle viral hepatitis; recognises the Scottish Government’s £43 million investment in phase II of its Hepatitis C Action Plan 2008-2011, and welcomes the Hepatitis C Trust to the Parliament’s Garden Lobby on the evening of Tuesday 2 February 2010 for a reception to mark the opening of its office and to allow MSPs to meet patient representatives from their constituencies.

Supported by: Brian Adam, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Robin Harper, Rob Gibson, Kenneth Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Joe FitzPatrick, Maureen Watt, Bill Wilson, Patrick Harvie, Bill Kidd, Jamie Hepburn, Mary Scanlon, Michael Matheson*

S3M-5654 Robert Brown: Glas-goals—That the Parliament congratulates the Evening Times for its health campaign, Glas-goals, and its three targets of walking or running a million miles for Glasgow, stubbing out a million cigarettes for Glasgow and shedding half a million pounds in weight for Glasgow over the next year; notes that Glasgow has a poor health record and that 48% of males and 29% of females exceed weekly recommended alcohol limits, that 190,000 Glaswegians smoke and that, by the end of 2010, nearly a third of the population will be clinically obese; believes that campaigning newspapers like the Evening Times can have a tremendous effect in changing attitudes and lifestyles, and wishes Glas-goals all success in its challenge in the year ahead.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Robin Harper, Bill Kidd, Anne McLaughlin, Kenneth Gibson, Trish Godman, Jim Tolson, Patricia Ferguson, Mike Pringle, Ross Finnie, Pauline McNeill, Hugh O’Donnell, Nigel Don, Mr Frank McAveety, Ken Macintosh, Hugh Henry, Bill Aitken

S3M-5653 Bob Doris: Getgo and Wyndford—That the Parliament congratulates Getgo Glasgow and the Wyndford community on their successful bid at the regional finals of the Sustain our Nation competition, including a cash prize of £10,000 for their Green Gorillaz proposal; wishes the project further success at the finals in London on 17 February 2010 and commends the efforts of the postgraduate students at Glasgow School of Art and the Wyndford residents who are giving freely of time and effort to promote the community; applauds the project’s emphasis on community cohesion and intergenerational activities; considers that residents have rallied to fight for the interests of their community as a direct result of the closure of the Wyndford and St Gregory’s primary schools in 2009 against the overwhelming will of the local community, and believes that, following initiatives like Getgo and the recent formation of the Wyndford Community Council, residents in Wyndford will succeed in improving their area and that they are providing a model for grassroots regeneration that could be applied to numerous other communities.

Supported by: Rob Gibson, Aileen Campbell, Bill Wilson, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5652 Robert Brown: Scottish Government Blocking Public Right to Freedom of Information—That the Parliament is appalled at the Scottish Government’s refusal to provide information to applicants under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 when the request is in the form of a request for a copy of a document; considers that the attitude of the Scottish Government on this matter is a transparent breach of the obligations imposed on the Scottish Government under the Act; notes the terms of the Scottish Information Commissioner’s Guidance on validity of FOI requests following Court of Session Opinion on 30 September 2009, dated 27 January 2010, that a public authority that is asked for a copy of a document should respond to the request as one properly made under the Act if it is reasonably clear that the request is for the information contained in the document; urges the Scottish Government and its directorates and agencies to carry out their obligations under the Act fully and in a spirit of maximum transparency, and condemns the actions of any government that seeks to keep secret important information to which the public has a right of access.

Supported by: Jim Tolson, Iain Smith, Mike Rumbles, Hugh O’Donnell, Liam McArthur, Ms Wendy Alexander, Robin Harper, Mike Pringle, Jackie Baillie, Marlyn Glen, Karen Gillon, Marilyn Livingstone, John Park, Ross Finnie, Hugh Henry

S3M-5651 Bill Butler: David Savage Jnr, Scottish Boxing Champion—That the Parliament congratulates David Savage Jnr on becoming the first ever Scottish super-bantamweight boxing champion; recognises that he is a product of the Argo Boxing Club, based in Drumchapel, which has served the local community since 1974; acknowledges that he follows in the footsteps of his father, David Savage Snr, who was also a Scottish professional boxing champion, and wishes David Savage Jnr continued success in his professional career.

Supported by: Robin Harper, Aileen Campbell, Bob Doris, Jackson Carlaw, Des McNulty, Jim Tolson, John Park, Stuart McMillan, Pauline McNeill, James Kelly, Patricia Ferguson, Mary Mulligan, Bill Kidd, Mr Frank McAveety, Bill Aitken, Elaine Smith, Jamie Hepburn, Ken Macintosh, Hugh Henry, Michael Matheson*

S3M-5650 Alex Neil: The Home Owner and Debtor Protection (Scotland) Bill—That the Parliament agrees that the Home Owner and Debtor Protection (Scotland) Bill be passed.

Supported by: Fergus Ewing

S3M-5649 John Swinney: The Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2010—That the Parliament agrees that the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2010 be approved.

Supported by: Bruce Crawford

S3M-5648 Jackie Baillie: Free Prescriptions for Cancer Patients—That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish National Party’s Angus MacNeil MP for originally supporting Early Day Motion (EDM) 641 on prescription charges; notes that the motion suggests that the Scottish Government should follow the lead of the UK Government in exempting cancer patients from prescription charges; further notes that cancer patients in England have enjoyed free prescriptions since April 2009, whereas in Scotland they will be required to pay £3 per prescription until 1 April 2010; shares the disappointment of those who supported EDM 641 that the Scottish Government has not acted on this quickly; regrets that the SNP has broken promises from its 2005 and 2007 election manifestos when it stated that it would end prescription charges for cancer patients immediately, and calls on SNP members to pay heed to the sensible view of their colleague at Westminster.

Supported by: Rhona Brankin, Marlyn Glen, Karen Gillon, David Whitton, Ken Macintosh, Margaret Curran, Mr Frank McAveety, Pauline McNeill, Mary Mulligan, Hugh Henry, Elaine Murray, James Kelly, Trish Godman

S3M-5648.1 Alasdair Allan: Free Prescriptions for Cancer Patients—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5648) in the name of Jackie Baillie, leave out from "originally supporting" to end and insert "his unambiguous support for the SNP government’s plans to abolish prescription charges for all in Scotland; deprecates the risible efforts of Jackie Baillie MSP to deflect the well justified criticism of her own party’s opposition to free prescriptions for all in Scotland by citing a name that appeared beside a motion in Westminster as a result of a clerical error that has long since been corrected, and calls on Gordon Brown to belatedly keep the promise that he made in his speech to the Labour Party conference in 2008 to abolish prescription charges for all people with long-term conditions in England."

Supported by: Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd, Kenneth Gibson, Stewart Maxwell, Rob Gibson, Aileen Campbell, Joe FitzPatrick, John Wilson, Bob Doris, Brian Adam, Maureen Watt, Anne McLaughlin

S3M-5647 Marilyn Livingstone: First Woman in Fife Confirmed as a FIFA Assistant Referee—That the Parliament congratulates Lorraine Clark, the first woman in Fife to be confirmed as a FIFA assistant referee; notes that the 24-year-old has been involved in refereeing for eight years and has been overseeing local games at a semi-professional level; commends the fact that, now that her nomination has been confirmed by FIFA, Lorraine will officiate in international, European Championship and World Cup qualifying matches; recognises the support that Lorraine has had from her colleagues in the Fife Referee Association and Kirkcaldy Area Sports Council, and welcomes Lorraine’s achievements, which make her a role model for young women in Fife interested in sports.

Supported by: John Park, Robin Harper, Stewart Maxwell, Aileen Campbell, Des McNulty, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Jim Tolson, Joe FitzPatrick, Mary Mulligan, Tricia Marwick, Marlyn Glen, Mr Frank McAveety, Trish Godman, Dr Richard Simpson, Stuart McMillan, Jackie Baillie, Bill Kidd, Jamie Hepburn, Pauline McNeill, Elaine Murray*, Ken Macintosh*

S3M-5646 Jackie Baillie: Alexandria Medical Centre—That the Parliament regrets the delay in the building of the new Alexandria Medical Centre; notes that the final business case submitted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to the Scottish Government has yet to be approved; considers the conditions in the existing medical centre appalling for staff and patients alike; further considers that the new medical centre is an essential part of the Vision for the Vale, and calls on the Scottish Government to commit the capital cost of £18.5 million without any further delay.

Supported by: James Kelly, Mr Frank McAveety, Des McNulty, Mary Mulligan, Hugh Henry, Bill Butler, Trish Godman, Dr Richard Simpson*

S3M-5645 Ross Finnie: Congratulations to Outstanding St Columba’s High School—That the Parliament congratulates St Columba’s High School in Gourock for its outstanding HM Inspectorate of Education report in which the school received four very good and one good rating(s) and which praised the leadership of the head teacher and senior managers, the confident, courteous pupils, who are keen to learn, and the high expectations and teamwork of the staff, all of which had led to improved attainment and achievement.

Supported by: Aileen Campbell, Hugh O’Donnell, Jackson Carlaw, Mike Pringle, Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd

S3M-5644 Linda Fabiani: Research and Innovation with the RSE—That the Parliament welcomes the launch of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s (RSE) Business Research and Development Forum, which has been set up to identify and propose mechanisms to encourage innovation that will enable businesses in Scotland to make better use of the research base in order to stimulate economic growth and congratulates the RSE on its recognition of the importance of appropriate support to outstanding individuals and companies in the areas of research and development and knowledge transfer.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Michael Matheson*

S3M-5643 Gil Paterson: Benefits of Milk at an Early Age—That the Parliament is aware that health specialists the world over promote the drinking of milk during early years, emphasising the long-term health benefits for children, particularly girls, brought about by the consumption of calcium and vitamin-rich milk; condemns the Labour Party group on West Dunbartonshire Council for proposing to remove free school milk for primary school children, and encourages politicians, at all levels, to consider the long-term consequences for the most vulnerable in society when removing vital and nutritious food.

Supported by: Bill Wilson, Sandra White, Joe FitzPatrick, Brian Adam, Stuart McMillan, Stewart Maxwell, Jamie Hepburn, Michael Matheson*

S3M-5642 Jackson Carlaw: Israelis and Palestinians Working Together—That the Parliament considers that there is an unfortunate record of one-sided motions on Israel/Palestine that tend to promote a perception that Israel’s influence in the region is entirely negative; observes, in the interests of balance, that Qalqilya was able to harvest its first ever strawberry crop in December 2009 thanks to training, irrigation equipment and pesticides provided by Israel, that Ruwabi, a new Palestinian city, is to be built north of Ramallah with the Israelis helping to plan public parks and other civic amenities and the Israeli charity, Jewish National Fund, helping to plant 3,000 seedlings for a forested area planned for the outskirts of this new city, that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that "in the West Bank we have a good reality ... the people are living a normal life"; welcomes the recent Scottish Development International mission to Israel and believes that this afforded Scottish companies opportunities to explore potential partnerships with Israeli companies and attract direct foreign investment, and calls on politicians of all parties to make more of an effort to portray a balanced and more responsible view of what is going on in the region, placing an equal emphasis on the positive achievements made over recent times as a result of Israelis and Palestinians working together for a better and more peaceful future.

Supported by: Ken Macintosh, John Lamont, David McLetchie, Jamie McGrigor, Bill Aitken, Mary Scanlon, Margaret Mitchell*

S3M-5641 Claire Baker: NUS Scotland’s Parent Trap Campaign—That the Parliament supports efforts to encourage student parents to access college and university education in Scotland; congratulates the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland Parent Trap campaign on its work in making the case for greater levels of support for childcare for student parents; believes there to have been significant problems with childcare funding over the last two years, including a number of institutions running out of funds entirely; welcomes the Scottish Government’s announcement of £2 million additional funding for childcare and a review of the current system and considers that pressure from opposition parties and the NUS played an important role in making the case for such a decision, and calls on the Scottish Government to look at ways to end the postcode lottery in the provision of help with childcare across further and higher education.

Supported by: Margaret Smith, Ms Wendy Alexander, Jackie Baillie, Marlyn Glen, Elaine Smith, Mary Mulligan, Rhona Brankin, James Kelly, Dr Richard Simpson, Karen Gillon, Kenneth Gibson, John Park, Robin Harper, Andy Kerr, Ken Macintosh, Des McNulty, Pauline McNeill, Malcolm Chisholm, Mr Frank McAveety, Marilyn Livingstone, Trish Godman, Cathie Craigie

S3M-5640 Karen Whitefield: We Want Our Missing Millions—That the Parliament welcomes the We want our missing millions campaign by the organisation, for Scotland’s Disabled Children; notes that the campaign seeks to secure £11.3 million from the Scottish Government for Scotland’s disabled children, representing the final third of £34 million intended to support disabled children and young people, and believes that the Scottish Government should take steps to ensure that local authorities spend their share of the £11.3 million on support for disabled children and young people in their areas.

Supported by: Cathy Jamieson, Ken Macintosh, Marlyn Glen, Claire Baker, Mary Mulligan, James Kelly, Rhona Brankin, Ms Wendy Alexander, Elaine Smith, Michael McMahon, Bill Butler, Jackie Baillie, Robin Harper, Des McNulty, Marilyn Livingstone, Andy Kerr, Dr Richard Simpson, Cathy Peattie, Margaret Curran, Pauline McNeill, John Park, Trish Godman, Elaine Murray, Hugh Henry

S3M-5639 Ross Finnie: Food Collection Trial a Waste—That the Parliament questions the logic of running a food waste collection trial for a year in seven local authorities across Scotland, only to end financial support for the trial after a year without any evaluation, and believes it to have been a waste of public money to have allowed the participating local authorities to invest in the necessary capital equipment, only to abandon the equipment after a year.

Supported by: Robin Harper, Jim Hume, Jamie Stone, Mike Pringle, Robert Brown, Alison McInnes, Hugh O’Donnell, Nicol Stephen, Liam McArthur

S3M-5636# Ian McKee: Family Nurse Partnership Programme in Lothian—That the Parliament congratulates NHS Lothian on being selected by the Scottish Government as a test site, fully funded for three years, for a Family Nurse Partnership programme, an intensive preventive programme for vulnerable first-time young parents that has a 30-year evidence base showing the potential for improvements in women’s ante-natal health, reductions in children’s injuries, greater intervals between births, increases in fathers’ involvement, increases in employment and earnings, reductions in the need for benefits, improvements in school readiness, reduced arrests and criminal behaviour in 15-year-olds and mothers and that eventually produces savings five times the amount of an initial investment; realises that one measure alone is not the entire answer to challenges in this field but a welcome start, and wishes the project every success.

Supported by: Sandra White, Aileen Campbell, Alasdair Allan, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Angela Constance, Elaine Smith, Malcolm Chisholm, Dave Thompson, Maureen Watt, Stuart McMillan, Jamie Hepburn

S3M-5635 Margaret Curran: Barrachnie Inn Fundraising—That the Parliament congratulates the local residents who go to Barrachnie Inn in Garrowhill, Baillieston, for their dedicated fundraising for the Scottish charity, Mary’s Meals, since November 2009; notes that, on Saturday 30 January 2010, Barrachnie Inn will host a special race night to raise funds for Mary’s Meals that will go towards assisting the aid effort in Haiti following the devastating earthquake that hit the Caribbean island earlier this month, and applauds the continued altruistic fundraising efforts of the manager, Miriam Anwar, and her staff at Barrachnie Inn who have worked closely with the local community to raise great amounts of money for Mary’s Meals and other worthy causes.

Supported by: Elaine Smith, Jackie Baillie, Pauline McNeill, David Stewart, Cathy Peattie, Mary Mulligan, Robin Harper, Kenneth Gibson, Mr Frank McAveety, Aileen Campbell, Cathy Jamieson, Des McNulty, James Kelly, Hugh Henry, Marilyn Livingstone, Stuart McMillan, Trish Godman, Jamie Hepburn

S3M-5634 Bill Kidd: UK Tax and Benefits Poverty Trap—That the Parliament considers that, in light of two recent reports, An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK and Measuring Severe Child Poverty in the UK, the UK Government has failed to lift people out of poverty and improve the lot of poorer members of society relative to wealthy members, giving rise to the impression that Conservative governments maintain the tax and benefit system to keep rich people rich and that Labour governments maintain the current tax and benefit system to keep poor people poor.

Supported by: John Wilson, Alasdair Allan, Bill Wilson, Kenneth Gibson, Sandra White, Stuart McMillan, Aileen Campbell, Jamie Hepburn, Dave Thompson

S3M-5633# Elizabeth Smith: 150 Years of Armed Forces’ Cadet Movement—That the Parliament congratulates the armed forces’ cadet movement on its 150th anniversary; considers that the Sea Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force, Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force have given great opportunities to young people to develop self-confidence, teamwork, leadership and responsibility through a wide range of activities, including sport, adventure training, first aid, military skills training, community activities and military music groups, including the Black Watch Battalion Army Cadet Force, which covers Perth and Kinross and Fife, and further notes that, through Cadet150, the 131,000 current cadets will be taking part in events across the United Kingdom, with a notable programme of events in Scotland and events overseas.

Supported by: Jim Tolson, Murdo Fraser, Karen Whitefield, Ken Macintosh, John Scott, Margaret Mitchell, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Aitken, Jamie McGrigor, John Lamont, Nanette Milne, Ted Brocklebank, Gavin Brown, Robert Brown, Andy Kerr, Karen Gillon, Ian McKee, Jackie Baillie, Jackson Carlaw, John Park, Jack McConnell, Dave Thompson*

S3M-5632 Robert Brown: Save the Children Report Measuring Severe Child Poverty in the UK—That the Parliament welcomes the publication by Save the Children of its report, Measuring Severe Child Poverty in the UK; notes with concern that the report found that 95,000 children across Scotland continue to live in severe poverty, equating to 9% of all Scottish children; considers that progress in eradicating child poverty in Scotland has stalled as the number of children living in severe poverty remained constant at between 8% and 9% from 2004-05 to 2007-08; urges the Scottish Government and the UK Government to deliver more focused action to achieve the overdue eradication of child poverty in Scotland by 2020; agrees that concerted policy action must be undertaken to (a) remove barriers to parental employment, (b) ensure that the poorest do not pay the price for the economic crisis, (c) make the tax and benefit system work for the poorest families, (d) support families to reduce their expenditure and (e) break the link between poverty and educational achievement; recognises the importance of the proposals put forward by the Liberal Democrats to address poverty, notably measures to realign the tax system to ensure fairness to those at the lower end of the income spectrum by setting the annual tax threshold at £10,000, thereby cutting the average tax bill by £700 and taking four million people out of the income tax net altogether, and to introduce a mansion tax on homes valued at over £2 million, and believes that all children are born equal and none should be left behind.

Supported by: Hugh O’Donnell, Mike Pringle, Marlyn Glen, Cathy Peattie, Ross Finnie, Alison McInnes, Nicol Stephen

S3M-5631 David McLetchie: Merchiston Castle School Wins Construction and Built Environment Challenge—That the Parliament congratulates Merchiston Castle School on winning the 2010 Construction and Built Environment Challenge; notes that a team of 10 pupils aged 13-14 won after completing a series of challenges, including building a garden shed, plumbing and taking part in a property development exercise; applauds the efforts of the 29 other school teams in Edinburgh and the Lothians that took part in the regional heats, and acknowledges the support for the event from ConstructionSkills, SummitSkills, BEST, SECTT, Capital Skills, Edinburgh’s Telford College, Edinburgh Napier University, Oatridge College, Heriot-Watt University and West Lothian College.

S3M-5630# Sandra White: Threat to Glasgow Jobs—That the Parliament expresses its concern over the announcement by the Student Loans Company to cut 150 jobs in Glasgow and Hillington alongside the transfer of a further 45 jobs to its base in Darlington; believes that, at this time of economic uncertainty, everything that can be done to retain these jobs should be done; fully supports the Public and Commercial Services Union campaign against these cuts, and hopes that in the course of the consultation process wiser counsel will prevail.

Supported by: Rob Gibson, Brian Adam, Elaine Smith, Pauline McNeill, Michael Matheson, Bob Doris, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Gil Paterson, Dave Thompson

S3M-5629 Ken Macintosh: Holocaust Memorial Day 2010—That the Parliament notes 27 January 2010 as Holocaust Memorial Day and urges all Scots to unite in remembering the victims and survivors of the Holocaust; recognises that the lessons learned from the tragedy of the Holocaust are of fundamental importance for successive generations; believes that continued vigilance and opposition to discrimination, persecution and racism is vital if such terrible events are to be prevented from ever happening again; also wishes, however, to celebrate the legacy of hope provided by those who survived and those who helped others survive; particularly wishes to remember the Rev Ernest Levy from Giffnock, a survivor of Auschwitz Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen who died last year; notes that, despite enduring appalling suffering during the Holocaust, the Rev Levy never lost his warmth or humanity and devoted himself to educating others, and believes that the best way to remember and pay tribute to Holocaust survivors like Ernest Levy is to ensure that their inspiring stories continue to be told to future generations.

Supported by: Kenneth Gibson, Jamie Hepburn, Irene Oldfather, Jackson Carlaw, Linda Fabiani, Jack McConnell, Stewart Maxwell

S3M-5628 Aileen Campbell: Lanarkshire Farmers’ Market Comes to Biggar—That the Parliament welcomes the news that the Lanarkshire Farmers’ Market, which visits various towns across South Lanarkshire on a rotating basis, will come to Biggar on four occasions in 2010 following the successful application of Lanarkshire Farmers’ Markets Limited for a licence that will allow an indoor market in Biggar Municipal Hall; believes that this will complement the wide range of fresh local produce already available in shops on Biggar’s High Street and help to attract additional business and visitors to the town as well as promoting healthy eating and reducing the carbon footprint of the area’s diet, and wishes everyone involved in the farmers’ market continued success both in Biggar and across South Lanarkshire.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Stuart McMillan, Jamie Hepburn, Maureen Watt, Robin Harper, Jim Hume, Bill Kidd, Gil Paterson

S3M-5627 Robin Harper: Reductions in Modern Language Opportunities—That the Parliament notes the proposed cuts to modern language teaching at the University of Edinburgh; understands that these cuts apply to, among other languages, Russian, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish; believes that the system of research-assessed funding is detrimental to any notion of the tradition of Scottish universities as dedicated to the liberal arts as well as to science and risks providing students in some academic areas with a restricted education; further believes that there is a need for additional support funding beyond that provided by the Research Assessment Exercise system; further believes that, if universities in Scotland are to remain competitive and maintain the standards that they have set themselves, a new funding package is needed; suggests that such a package should seek to provide additional funding to the most vulnerable subjects and preserve the skills base that exists, and calls on the Scottish Government to recognise the economic and cultural significance of foreign languages to Scotland and the United Kingdom and to ensure continued funding for high quality teaching and research in the nation’s universities.

Supported by: Hugh O’Donnell, Hugh Henry, Marilyn Livingstone

S3M-5626 Mary Scanlon: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month 2010—That the Parliament notes that February is LGBT History Month and that a number of events will take place to celebrate the contribution of LGBT people to Scotland’s past and, just as importantly, its future; deeply regrets the persecution of the past and expresses gratitude to those who stood against it; affirms that LGBT history is an important part of Scottish history and, as such, the whole country should mark this event with pride; considers that, while huge strides have been taken towards acceptance of gay and transgender people, so long as intolerance and homophobia exists everybody must work hard to combat it wherever it presents itself; resolves to create a tolerant society where young people can grow up without fear of prejudice, and affirms the pride that Scotland can take in its LGBT community and its importance to the nation.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Marlyn Glen, Linda Fabiani, Jack McConnell, Anne McLaughlin, Jamie McGrigor, Jackie Baillie, John Lamont, Bill Kidd, Alex Johnstone, Joe FitzPatrick, Nanette Milne, Bob Doris, Rhona Brankin, Margaret Mitchell, Stewart Maxwell, Elaine Murray, Bill Butler, Shirley-Anne Somerville*, Ken Macintosh*, Maureen Watt*

S3M-5625 Robin Harper: Reductions in Teacher Training Staff—That the Parliament notes that so few recently qualified teachers are gaining employment after their induction year that Scotland now faces a proposed cut in admissions to teacher training of over 1,000 students and could be facing a cut in the teacher education budget of £8 million, raising fears of large-scale redundancies among teacher educators, and calls on the Scottish Government and the educational establishment to do all that they can to retain teacher educators in post in order to ensure sustainable regrowth in the teacher training sector in the future and to employ the present workforce with funding from an increased Teacher Continuous Professional Development fund or other sources to take forward the Curriculum for Excellence development that is so urgently required to upskill the present teaching workforce, and, by further work with local authorities, to do everything possible to retain recently qualified teachers in schools.

Supported by: Ms Wendy Alexander, Mr Frank McAveety, Marilyn Livingstone, Malcolm Chisholm, Bill Butler, Hugh Henry, Cathy Peattie, Jackie Baillie, Patrick Harvie, Jack McConnell, Cathy Jamieson

S3M-5624 Marilyn Livingstone: Proposed Removal of the Concessionary Rail Scheme in Fife—That the Parliament notes with concern proposals by Fife Council to remove or downgrade the concessionary rail travel scheme in Fife in which older and disabled passengers are entitled to discounted off-peak rail travel throughout Fife and to Edinburgh, Dundee and Perth; considers that the proposals, from removal of the scheme to limited travel concessions within Fife, will put at risk the social, leisure and community benefits enjoyed by thousands of Fifers; notes that in 2009 there were over 420,000 journeys made by concessionary travel cardholders; believes that the scheme contributes to the quality of life and confidence of its users; acknowledges that 40% of Fife Elderly Forum members and user panels that responded to a recent questionnaire said that they wanted the scheme to continue, with 15% confirming that they would be willing to pay more than the current 50p rate if it would allow the scheme to continue, and urges Fife Council to reconsider its position on devaluing the rail concessionary scheme.

Supported by: Des McNulty, Elaine Smith, John Park, Mr Frank McAveety, Mary Mulligan, Bill Butler, Trish Godman, Jackie Baillie, Cathy Peattie, Robin Harper, Ken Macintosh, Pauline McNeill

S3M-5623 Cathy Jamieson: Girvan Swimming Pool—That the Parliament regrets the decision taken by South Ayrshire Council that will see Girvan Swimming Pool demolished rather than handed over to the community in the form of Girvan Community Swimming Pool Ltd to enable that company to raise the necessary capital funding to refurbish and reopen the pool; notes that a motion to the council proposing the transfer of the pool, as well as requesting ongoing revenue funding, was moved by South Carrick Labour Councillor John McDowall and received support from South Carrick SNP and Conservative councillors as well as from the Labour group; believes that the decision to reject this motion, with no immediate plans for a replacement pool or leisure facilities, flies in the face of policies encouraging active, healthy lifestyles and the wishes of the vast majority of local people; regrets also that Girvan did not receive any award from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund, and urges the Scottish Government to enter into discussions with South Ayrshire Council regarding the regeneration of Girvan and the future provision of swimming and leisure facilities in the town.

Supported by: George Foulkes, Marilyn Livingstone, Mr Frank McAveety, Jackie Baillie, Elaine Smith, Hugh Henry, James Kelly, Mary Mulligan, Cathy Peattie, Ken Macintosh, Elaine Murray*

S3M-5622 Ross Finnie: Withdrawal of Renfrew to Yoker Ferry—That the Parliament notes the decision by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) to remove, from March 2010, the Renfrew to Yoker ferry service, one of Scotland’s oldest ferry links, used by 140,000 passengers a year, and calls on the SPT to re-evaluate the options with a view to retaining this essential service.

Supported by: Jim Hume, Hugh O’Donnell, Rob Gibson, Gil Paterson, Ms Wendy Alexander, Robin Harper, Patrick Harvie, Robert Brown, Sandra White

S3M-5621 Michael Matheson: Tennent’s Support for Minimum Price of Alcohol—That the Parliament welcomes the growing consensus in favour of the minimum pricing of alcohol, including the recent backing by Scotland’s largest brewer, Tennent’s; welcomes the comments by Mike Lees, Managing Director of Tennent Caledonian, who views minimum pricing as "part of an overall programme to reduce the abuses of alcohol"; realises that minimum pricing seeks to raise the price of inexpensive ciders, lagers and low-grade spirits that contribute to high levels of alcohol misuse, and understands that this targeting will ultimately benefit the people of Scotland.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Linda Fabiani, Shirley-Anne Somerville*, Stuart McMillan*, Bill Kidd*, Aileen Campbell*, Kenneth Gibson*

S3M-5618 Karen Whitefield: A Deafening Silence—That the Parliament notes the recent report, Diabetes UK survey of people with diabetes and access to healthcare services 2009, which reveals that children and young people with diabetes feel that they are being ignored and disenfranchised; further notes that 56% of children and young people want to see better communication between their diabetes care team and schools so that they can receive the necessary joined-up support to manage their diabetes better; believes that hundreds of children and teenagers with diabetes in Scotland are at risk of developing serious health complications because they feel that healthcare professionals and schools do not always listen to their needs and help them control their diabetes, and calls for improved provision of and access to educational and psychological support for children and young people with diabetes in Scotland.

Supported by: Cathy Jamieson, Rhona Brankin, Helen Eadie, Johann Lamont, James Kelly, Des McNulty, Patricia Ferguson, Kenneth Gibson, Trish Godman, Bill Butler, Marlyn Glen, Jackie Baillie, Cathy Peattie, Mr Frank McAveety, Elaine Smith, Ken Macintosh, Mary Mulligan, Hugh Henry, Marilyn Livingstone, Liam McArthur, Paul Martin, Robin Harper, Irene Oldfather, Elaine Murray*

S3M-5608 Shirley-Anne Somerville: Edinburgh Opposes the SDL—That the Parliament opposes plans by the so-called Scottish Defence League (SDL) to hold a demonstration in Edinburgh on Saturday 20 February 2010; believes the SDL to be intent on inciting religious and race hatred against Muslims and Asian people; condemns Islamophobia as being as unacceptable as any other form of racism or sectarianism, and reaffirms its view that there is no place for racists or fascists in Scotland.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Gil Paterson, Jackson Carlaw, Brian Adam, Ian McKee, Stewart Maxwell, Michael Matheson, Cathy Jamieson, George Foulkes, Robert Brown, Rob Gibson, Bob Doris, Aileen Campbell, Joe FitzPatrick, Hugh Henry, Bill Butler, Patricia Ferguson, Bill Wilson, Stuart McMillan, Jim Tolson, Malcolm Chisholm, Jackie Baillie, Elaine Smith, Robin Harper, Bill Kidd, Linda Fabiani, Dave Thompson, Patrick Harvie, Elaine Murray*

S3M-5607 Cathie Craigie: Going the Extra Mile—That the Parliament welcomes the launch of Going the Extra Mile: A Strategy for Working with Young People, initiated by Youth Buzz in coalition with North Lanarkshire Council and other partners; believes that the strategy will assist in identifying and assisting vulnerable children, young people and families who need support; commends this strategy for consulting young people across North Lanarkshire; further recognises the great efforts of all Youth Buzz representatives and Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament involved including David Barber, Fiona Beaton, Rebecca Brown and Liam Quigley, all from the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth area, and hopes that the strategy is a success.

Supported by: Elaine Smith, Hugh O’Donnell, Mr Frank McAveety, Rhona Brankin, Jamie Hepburn, David Whitton, Mary Mulligan, Claire Baker, Kenneth Gibson, Karen Whitefield, Des McNulty, James Kelly, Hugh Henry, Jim Tolson, Marilyn Livingstone, Jackie Baillie, Trish Godman, Robin Harper, Margaret Mitchell, Ken Macintosh, Linda Fabiani, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Elaine Murray*

S3M-5606# Trish Godman: The Registration and Transfer of Youth Football Players—That the Parliament views with concern the child welfare and legal implications of professional Scottish football clubs entering into contracts with children aged under 16; considers that boys in the Scottish Football Youth Initiative Programme entering into a one-year contract with a Scottish Football Association (SFA) club are often unaware that this gives the club the right to hold player registrations for a further two years; understands that players can be released from their registration at any time, giving senior clubs the opportunity to "harvest" hundreds of players; further views with concern the practice of compensation payments between SFA clubs for the transfer of young players under 16; considers that the legal and moral questions over the registration and transfer of youth players should be addressed urgently; believes that there is an important balance to strike in the relationship between children and sport, and commends all those involved in grassroots football in places such as Erskine, including Willie Smith, who has devoted 43 years to youth football.

Supported by: Duncan McNeil, Des McNulty, Elaine Smith, Ms Wendy Alexander, Mr Frank McAveety, Mary Mulligan, Marilyn Livingstone, Hugh Henry, Gil Paterson, Cathy Peattie, Robin Harper, Jackie Baillie, Andy Kerr, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5604 Alasdair Allan: West Harris Estates Transfer—That the Parliament notes that, on Monday 25 January 2010, the three West Harris estates of Luskentyre, Scaristavore and Borve, which includes the villages of Seilibost and Horgabost, were formally transferred to the community ownership of the West Harris Trust; notes that this historic land transfer is the first land buyout that sees a community take over Scottish Government-owned land; hopes that this is the first step towards a brighter future for people in the west of Harris that sees those who live on the estates become their own landlords; believes that community ownership will provide a great incentive for these communities to develop economically and socially and to retain and grow their populations, and wishes the communities every success with their future ventures.

Supported by: Stuart McMillan, Rob Gibson, Joe FitzPatrick, Kenneth Gibson, Bob Doris, Brian Adam, Stewart Maxwell, Sandra White, Aileen Campbell, Bill Kidd, Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Robin Harper, Dave Thompson, Maureen Watt

S3M-5603 Marilyn Livingstone: Proposed Cuts to Funding for Architecture, Built Environment and Planning—That the Parliament notes with concern the proposal by the Scottish Funding Council to cut funding for architecture, built environment and planning in universities by 22%; understands that, should the Scottish Funding Council reduce the number of funding groups from 25 to four as proposed, the effect of this for the built environment group would be a fall in funding, on the basis of 2008-09 figures, from £6,415 to £5,000 per student, which would represent the largest of the cuts proposed to any sector and would place architecture, built environment and planning in the lowest funding group; further understands that some concern has been raised about the incomplete and partial evidence on which the proposal is founded; believes that a 22% cut in funding would severely impede the Scottish Government’s targets on climate change and housing through reducing the number of built environment graduates who would be expected to lead in developing building standards and sustainable and energy-efficient designs and exacerbating an already strained planning system, and urges the Scottish Funding Council to reconsider its proposals for such drastic changes to the funding system at a time when investment should be encouraged.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Claire Baker, Des McNulty, Ken Macintosh, Cathy Peattie, Sarah Boyack, Trish Godman, Rhona Brankin, Mary Mulligan, Hugh Henry, Robin Harper, Linda Fabiani

S3M-5602 Margaret Curran: St Francis of Assisi Primary Donates to Haiti Earthquake Appeal—That the Parliament acknowledges the generosity of the pupils and teachers at St Francis of Assisi Primary School in Baillieston, Glasgow, who have donated £500 to the Haiti earthquake appeal; notes that this money will be channelled through the Scottish charity, Mary’s Meals, that had been working in Haiti prior to the earthquake, helping to bring food and resources to children and young people; further notes that Mary’s Meals will now use this money to help feed not only the children but also their friends and families who have been caught up in the devastating earthquake, and applauds the ongoing generosity and kindness of communities throughout Glasgow and beyond that have shown great readiness in assisting the aid effort in Haiti in a bid to repair the infrastructure in the country as well as to feed and protect the Haitian people.

Supported by: Patricia Ferguson, James Kelly, Bob Doris, Bill Kidd, Mr Frank McAveety, Des McNulty, Jackie Baillie, Mary Mulligan, Paul Martin, Karen Whitefield, Pauline McNeill, Stuart McMillan, Elaine Smith, Robin Harper, Malcolm Chisholm, Jamie Hepburn, Sandra White, Trish Godman, Cathy Peattie, Gil Paterson, Marilyn Livingstone, Hugh Henry, Maureen Watt

S3M-5601 Pauline McNeill: Congratulations to Habib Malik, Winner of the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award 2010—That the Parliament warmly congratulates Habib Malik, Scotland area manager of Islamic Relief and a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee, as the winner of the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award 2010; recognises his personal commitment as an aid worker who has dedicated his life to assisting those in need in many places around the world, including the Swat region of Pakistan, Kashmir, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Niger, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Gaza, Pakistan and recently Haiti, and further recognises the good work of Islamic Relief across the world.

Supported by: Joe FitzPatrick, Bob Doris, Elaine Smith, James Kelly, Elaine Murray, Jim Hume, Patricia Ferguson, Margaret Curran, Cathy Jamieson, Brian Adam, Bill Butler, Bill Kidd, Mr Frank McAveety, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Des McNulty, Marlyn Glen, Mary Mulligan, Jackie Baillie, Stuart McMillan, Robin Harper, Liam McArthur, Hugh O’Donnell, Jamie Hepburn, Sandra White, Trish Godman, Cathy Peattie, Gil Paterson, Marilyn Livingstone, Hugh Henry, Irene Oldfather, Linda Fabiani, Michael Matheson

S3M-5600 Aileen Campbell: Second Worldwide Toast to Burns—That the Parliament welcomes the launch of the second annual Worldwide Toast to Burns, which follows the efforts last year to break the world record for a simultaneous toast, efforts that recorded around 30,000 toasts to the bard from all seven continents, including Antarctica; encourages anyone hosting a Burns supper to register their event and toast to Robert Burns at http://www.worldwidetoasttorobertburns.com/, and looks forward to this initiative helping to continue spreading interest and appreciation of the life and work of Robert Burns around the world.

Supported by: Jamie Stone, Bob Doris, Nanette Milne, Stuart McMillan, Alasdair Allan, Joe FitzPatrick, Michael Matheson, Kenneth Gibson, Stewart Maxwell, Bill Kidd, Rob Gibson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, John Wilson, Cathy Jamieson, Elaine Smith, Robin Harper, Jamie Hepburn, Jim Hume, Gil Paterson

S3M-5599 Stuart McMillan: Carry on Piping—That the Parliament welcomes the decision to save Strathclyde Police Pipe Band from disbanding; notes that pipe major Don Bradford has been reinstated unopposed and recognises the decision taken by the new divisional commander at City Centre Police Office as the right way to proceed for the band; acknowledges the role that the College of Piping has played in fighting to save the band, including its petition, and congratulates the many correspondents to Strathclyde Police on the issue for their continued support for the band; wishes the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band well in the coming season, and hopes that the support shown to it from around the world during the campaign to save it continues as it goes from strength to strength as an ambassador for Glasgow and Scotland on the world piping stage.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Alasdair Allan, Joe FitzPatrick, Michael Matheson, Elaine Smith, Kenneth Gibson, Jackson Carlaw, Stewart Maxwell, Nanette Milne, Bill Kidd, Rob Gibson, Robin Harper, Jamie Hepburn, Sandra White, Anne McLaughlin, Gil Paterson, Maureen Watt, Willie Coffey, Linda Fabiani

S3M-5598 Ken Macintosh: Bullyproof—That the Parliament commends the work of Radio 1’s Bullyproof campaign in raising awareness of bullying, in building self-confidence and in addressing the concerns of young people; deplores bullying in all of its forms; considers that the Bullyproof campaign provides children and young people with the tools to combat bullying and guidance on how to cope if they are the victims of bullying; believes that bullying is a serious issue in Scotland’s schools and that all efforts to help children and young people cope are to be commended; acknowledges the effectiveness and innovation of the Bullyproof campaign in reaching as many people as possible with its interactive use of numerous social networking sites and high-profile endorsers, and particularly welcomes the opportunity that it provides for young people who have experienced bullying to be heard and supported by their peers.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Sarah Boyack, Irene Oldfather, Karen Whitefield

S3M-5597 Patricia Ferguson: RSAMD’s New Dance School at Spiers Lock, Glasgow—That the Parliament welcomes the news that the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama will open a new dance school in the Spiers Lock area of Glasgow later this year; notes that the development of this new £6.3 million campus will be the first part of a three-stage process to expand the academy’s facilities taking it a step closer to its aim of becoming the United Kingdom’s finest conservatoire; further notes that the new dance school will sit in close proximity to the Scottish Opera facilities and National Theatre of Scotland offices at Spiers Lock, and welcomes this important addition to Spiers Lock as a cultural quarter in Glasgow.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, James Kelly, Karen Whitefield, Pauline McNeill, Mary Mulligan, Bill Butler, Mr Frank McAveety, Marlyn Glen, David Whitton, Rhona Brankin, Trish Godman, Cathy Peattie, Sarah Boyack, Marilyn Livingstone, Hugh Henry, Linda Fabiani, Ken Macintosh

S3M-5596 Margaret Mitchell: Atlantic Fast Food—That the Parliament congratulates Atlantic Fast Food in Coatbridge on being named the best fish and chip shop in the United Kingdom by Seafish; notes that the awards are based on aspects such as food quality, responsible seafood sourcing, customer service, food hygiene and community spirit; further notes that this is the third successive year in which the award has been won by a Scottish shop, and congratulates the owner, Giovanni Fionda, and all his staff on their achievement.

Supported by: Jamie McGrigor, Karen Whitefield, John Lamont, Elizabeth Smith, Nanette Milne, Mary Scanlon, Jackson Carlaw, Joe FitzPatrick, Bill Kidd, Christina McKelvie, Gil Paterson, Linda Fabiani

S3M-5595 Alasdair Allan: Am Pàipear, Community Newspaper of the Year 2010—That the Parliament congratulates Am Pàipear, the community newspaper of the Uists, on being named the Community Newspaper of the Year at the 2010 Highlands and Islands Media Awards; considers that Am Pàipear has played a vital role in its local island community since its establishment in 1976 in working for and campaigning on behalf of all the communities of the Uists; believes that this award recognises the immense efforts made by the staff and contributors of Am Pàipear over the years, and wishes them every success in the future.

Supported by: Aileen Campbell, Kenneth Gibson, Sandra White, Jamie McGrigor, John Wilson, Rob Gibson, Robin Harper, Maureen Watt, Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd, Mary Scanlon, Peter Peacock, Bob Doris, Gil Paterson, Linda Fabiani

S3M-5594 Jamie Hepburn: UK Government Bank Ownership and the Public Interest—That the Parliament notes reports that the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is providing finance to Kraft Foods Inc in support of its bid to purchase Cadbury plc; believes that, given that the UK Government holds an 84% share in RBS, this essentially represents the use of public money to fund the foreign acquisition of a UK-based company; understands that the UK Government has previously refused to use its majority shareholding in banks to renegotiate payment terms of PFI contracts or end the cross-subsidisation of rail rolling stock that is owned by such banks, and calls on the UK Government to consider how best it can use its majority shareholding in banks to protect jobs and leverage better deals for the public purse in order to avoid it becoming the case that, despite being bailed out at public expense, the banks can ignore the public interest.

Supported by: Aileen Campbell, Anne McLaughlin, Kenneth Gibson, Robin Harper, John Wilson, Joe FitzPatrick, Michael Matheson, Bob Doris, Rob Gibson, Bill Kidd, Bill Wilson, Dave Thompson

S3M-5593 Sarah Boyack: Conversion Needed for Scottish Rugby Coverage—That the Parliament considers that there are significant gaps in broadcast coverage in Scotland of rugby, particularly on terrestrial television and particularly around the community game and high performance professional teams; is disappointed that despite the strenuous efforts of Scottish Rugby there is little interest to broadcast the sport sufficiently on either terrestrial or satellite television, and, finally,considers that the broadcasting of rugby is essential to further increase participation in the sport thus increasing fitness levels, promoting Scotland to a wider audience and creating a platform for greater Scottish sporting achievements.

Supported by: Mary Mulligan, Mr Frank McAveety, Stewart Maxwell, Mike Pringle, Bill Wilson, James Kelly, Karen Whitefield, Elaine Smith, Jackie Baillie, Karen Gillon, Joe FitzPatrick, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Rhona Brankin, Liam McArthur, Jamie Hepburn, Trish Godman, Cathy Peattie, Gil Paterson, Marilyn Livingstone, Ross Finnie, Hugh Henry, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5592 Robert Brown: Barnardo’s Scotland Fostering and Adoption Week—That the Parliament notes that the Fostering Network has calculated that Scotland needs an extra 1,700 carers; notes research from Barnardo’s indicating that people in Scotland are the least likely to consider fostering and that a perceived lack of training and support is the most common reason for this; recognises the dedication of Scotland’s foster carers; believes that fostering not only provides a loving home for some of the most vulnerable children in Scotland but can also be immensely rewarding to those who foster; welcomes the launch of Barnardo’s Scotland Fostering and Adoption Week on 18 January 2010 as one of a range of initiatives that will encourage more Scots to consider fostering, and congratulates Barnardo’s Scotland Fostering service in Glasgow for the work that it does in finding placements for children under the age of 13 with emotional and behavioural difficulties and for the training and support that it offers foster carers and potential foster carers.

Supported by: Jim Tolson, James Kelly, Nanette Milne, Joe FitzPatrick, Elaine Smith, Kenneth Gibson, Jackson Carlaw, Ms Wendy Alexander, Cathy Jamieson, Bill Kidd, Bob Doris, Mike Pringle, Bill Butler, Rob Gibson, Mr Frank McAveety, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Des McNulty, Patrick Harvie, Marlyn Glen, Karen Whitefield, Jamie Hepburn, Jackie Baillie, Stuart McMillan, Robin Harper, Liam McArthur, Hugh O’Donnell, Trish Godman, Sandra White, Cathy Peattie, Gil Paterson, Sarah Boyack, Alison McInnes, Marilyn Livingstone, Ross Finnie, Hugh Henry

S3M-5591 Christina McKelvie: Stop the Traffik—That the Parliament supports the work of Stop the Traffik, the international campaign against people trafficking; notes that people trafficking is a growing concern, with up to an estimated four million men, women and children being trafficked across borders and within their own countries every year; joins Stop the Traffik’s 1,000 member organisations in 50 countries worldwide in condemning the outrage of this ongoing enslavement of human beings; further notes the reported success that Stop the Traffik has had in forcing Cadbury, Mars and Nestlé to reduce the amount of chocolate that they use from Côte d’Ivoire, where thousands of children who have been trafficked are used to harvest the cocoa beans that make over a third of the world’s chocolate; endorses the campaigns at www.stopthetraffik.org to encourage confectionary manufacturers to increase their use of certified fairly traded cocoa beans, to encourage business travellers to learn how to recognise and report incidences of trafficking and to raise awareness of the dangers of the 2012 Olympic Games being used as an opportunity by people traffickers, and congratulates the Rev John Carswell and his colleagues at Cadzow Parish Church in Hamilton on organising a fundraising and awareness-raising concert in aid of Stop the Traffik, which will take place on the evening of 20 February 2010.

Supported by: Aileen Campbell, Kenneth Gibson, Alasdair Allan, Sandra White, Rob Gibson, Robin Harper, Bob Doris, Malcolm Chisholm, Anne McLaughlin, Gil Paterson, Elaine Smith, Bill Kidd, Joe FitzPatrick, Bill Wilson, Jamie Stone, Michael Matheson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Brian Adam, Hugh O’Donnell, Jamie Hepburn, Trish Godman, Linda Fabiani, Dave Thompson, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5590 David Whitton: Graduates for Business Scheme—That the Parliament deplores the decision by Scottish Enterprise to scrap the Graduates for Business scheme with the loss of seven jobs; considers that the decision to cut the graduate employment scheme was made by Scottish Enterprise purely on cost grounds despite the programme being viewed as a great success by employer organisations: notes that 250 flexible graduate internships were arranged annually with two thirds of participants offered permanent posts after being on the programme, and calls on Scottish Enterprise to act on the open letter from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills to invest in the future of Scotland’s young people and reinstate the graduate programme as a matter of urgency.

Supported by: Bill Butler, Michael McMahon, Andy Kerr, Ms Wendy Alexander, Mr Frank McAveety, Claire Baker, Tom McCabe, Robin Harper, Karen Whitefield, Elaine Murray, Jackie Baillie, Pauline McNeill, Margaret Curran, John Park, Mary Mulligan, Rhona Brankin, Cathie Craigie, Cathy Jamieson, Trish Godman, Cathy Peattie, Sarah Boyack, Marilyn Livingstone, Hugh Henry

S3M-5589 Robin Harper: Bee Research, Monoculture and Allotments—That the Parliament notes the publication of research by the French National Institute for Agronomic Research, based in Avignon, proving for the first time that a more diverse diet of different kinds of pollen can boost bee immunity; considers that this suggests that modern intensive monoculture farming is one of at least three major factors contributing to the alarming rates of decline in bee numbers across Europe, amounting in the United Kingdom to a 20% loss in the 2008-09 winter period, and calls on the Scottish Government to work, in this, the international year of biodiversity, to see what improvements in biodiversity can be made through assistance to large-scale farming and extra assistance to small-scale and organic farming and, in particular, encouragement to local authorities to persuade them to open up land for allotment development in order to address this serious problem and halt the decline in honey and bumblebees that afflicts the countryside at present.

Supported by: Rob Gibson, Mike Pringle, Bill Wilson, Elaine Smith, Bill Kidd, Patrick Harvie, Joe FitzPatrick, Brian Adam, Jamie Hepburn, Liam McArthur, Trish Godman, Cathy Peattie, Dave Thompson

S3M-5588 Iain Smith: Cleaning Systems UK—That the Parliament congratulates Cleaning Systems UK, based at Prestonhall Industrial Estate, Cupar, Fife, on being awarded a royal warrant for carrying out specialist floor cleaning services at Holyrood Palace; considers that this distinction is as a result of the dedication and hard work of the chairman and founder, Sandy Pearson, and his staff, and further considers that the entitlement to display By Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen on its literature and fleet of vehicles is a great boost in terms of prestige for Cleaning Systems UK and for Cupar.

S3M-5584 Jamie Hepburn: Architecture Students’ Vision for Cumbernauld’s Future—That the Parliament congratulates the students of Bauhaus College, Germany, who have taken part in a competition to develop new ideas for the future of Cumbernauld town centre; notes the wide range of innovative strategies developed and that five finalists have now been chosen by a Cumbernauld-based panel; encourages members of the public in Cumbernauld and beyond to visit the display of the finalists’ ideas in Cumbernauld town centre or online at the centre’s website, www.cumbernauldcentre.com/sitecontent/bauhaus-competition.html, and vote for their favourite idea; believes that the entries show how some imagination and creative thinking can help develop a sustainable future for Cumbernauld and town centres across Scotland, and looks forward to seeing one day some of the ideas expressed in the competition influencing the future development of Cumbernauld town centre.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Kenneth Gibson, Linda Fabiani, Stuart McMillan, Stewart Maxwell, Alasdair Allan, Aileen Campbell, Sandra White, Gil Paterson, Michael Matheson, Joe FitzPatrick

S3M-5583 Jack McConnell: Cadbury, Kraft and Fairtrade—That the Parliament notes the proposed takeover of Cadbury by the American firm, Kraft Foods; notes Cadbury’s commitment to Fairtrade for its flagship Cadbury Dairy Milk brand and other products; notes the work of the groundbreaking Cadbury Cocoa Partnership that Cadbury established in 2008 with the United Nations Development Programme and the governments, farmers and communities of Ghana, India, Indonesia and the Caribbean, and calls on Kraft to continue and build on Cadbury’s commitment to Fairtrade and the cocoa partnership.

Supported by: Des McNulty, David Stewart, Cathy Jamieson, Sandra White, Margaret Curran, Patricia Ferguson, Marilyn Livingstone, Michael Matheson, Christina McKelvie, Mike Pringle, Jamie Stone, Jackie Baillie, Karen Gillon, Rhona Brankin, Joe FitzPatrick, George Foulkes, Hugh O’Donnell, Ian McKee, Robin Harper, Kenneth Gibson, Mr Frank McAveety, Bill Kidd, Marlyn Glen, Brian Adam, Ms Wendy Alexander, Sarah Boyack, Bill Butler, Linda Fabiani, Hugh Henry, Ken Macintosh, Pauline McNeill, Mary Mulligan, Elaine Murray, Cathy Peattie, Jamie Hepburn, Maureen Watt, Malcolm Chisholm, Rob Gibson, Elaine Smith, Irene Oldfather

S3M-5582 Cathy Jamieson: Queen Margaret Academy, Ayr, and Scotwest Credit Union—That the Parliament commends pupils and staff at Queen Margaret Academy in Ayr who have worked with Scotwest Credit Union to set up a credit union branch in the school; notes that this branch is open to all 600 pupils in the school, that it is operated by pupils on a voluntary basis, allowing them to gain experience of financial services and work towards recognised qualifications, and that it also offers an option for pupils to save for a school trip to Holland next June, and calls on the Scottish Government to encourage and support similar initiatives in other schools.

Supported by: Des McNulty, David Stewart, Ken Macintosh, John Wilson, Cathy Peattie, Mary Mulligan, Karen Whitefield, John Scott, Mr Frank McAveety, Trish Godman, Bill Butler, Hugh Henry, Sandra White, Robin Harper, James Kelly, Jackie Baillie, Pauline McNeill, Elaine Smith, Sarah Boyack, Elaine Murray, Gil Paterson, Marilyn Livingstone

S3M-5581 Christine Grahame: Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill—That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill.

S3M-5580 Jackie Baillie: Fairness for Thalidomide Survivors in Scotland—That the Parliament welcomes the recent statement of regret from the Right Honourable Mike O’Brien QC MP, Minister of State for Health, for the pain and suffering endured by thalidomide survivors and their families; further welcomes the pilot scheme of £20 million to explore a more personalised way of meeting their health needs; congratulates the National Advisory Council of the Thalidomide Trust for successfully campaigning to ensure that the needs of thalidomide survivors are adequately met by health and care services; recognises that the trust will use its expertise and knowledge to distribute money to survivors to minimise deterioration of their condition, which is likely to reduce long-term demands on the NHS; further recognises that almost 30% of survivors live in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; warmly welcomes the decision of the Northern Ireland Assembly to contribute funding over and above the £20 million for pilot schemes, and calls on the Scottish Government to commit resources for similar pilots to meet the assessed health needs of those people who have suffered the effects of the drug, thalidomide, and invest in preventative care for thalidomide survivors in Scotland.

Supported by: Sarah Boyack, Hugh Henry, Karen Whitefield

S3M-5579 Liam McArthur: Orkney Today, Highlands and Islands Newspaper of the Year—That the Parliament notes the important role played by the local print and broadcasting media in the Highlands and Islands, where they contribute much to the communities that they serve; considers that they provide access to important news that is overlooked by the central belt-dominated national media; welcomes the annual Highlands and Islands Media Awards, which reward newspapers and individual reporters and photographers for their high-quality work; congratulates all the winners of this year’s awards; particularly congratulates Orkney Today for winning the Newspaper of the Year award in recognition of its good layout and all-round coverage of news, features and sports, and looks forward to enjoying Orkney Today and the output of the other papers and broadcasters covering the Highlands and Islands over the coming year.

Supported by: Aileen Campbell, Hugh O’Donnell, Jamie McGrigor, Mary Scanlon, Jamie Stone, Bill Kidd, Robin Harper, Rob Gibson, Ross Finnie, Willie Coffey, Hugh Henry, Des McNulty, Alasdair Allan, Cathy Peattie, Sarah Boyack

S3M-5578 Jim Tolson: Coeliac UK’s Gluten-free Chef of the Year Competition—That the Parliament congratulates chef Peter McKenzie of South Lanarkshire Council on winning Coeliac UK’s Gluten-free Chef of the Year competition; notes that the Gluten-free Chef of the Year competition is part of Coeliac UK’s Eating Out campaign through which it aims to raise awareness of coeliac disease and the gluten-free diet among chefs and catering students, and believes that such competitions will encourage all entrants and winners to be passionate about providing gluten-free options on their menus throughout their careers.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Aileen Campbell, Hugh O’Donnell, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cathy Peattie, Kenneth Gibson, Patricia Ferguson, Gil Paterson, Nanette Milne, Robin Harper, Jamie Stone, Jim Hume, Anne McLaughlin, Mike Pringle, Hugh Henry, David Whitton, Bob Doris, Trish Godman, Joe FitzPatrick, Alison McInnes, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5577 Stuart McMillan: Congratulations to Gibshill Children’s Day Centre—That the Parliament congratulates Gibshill Children’s Day Centre in Inverclyde for receiving a fantastic HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) report; notes that the day centre received five very good evaluations, which indicates major strength on the HMIE judgment scale; further notes that the day centre received praise for its welcoming and supportive ethos and its high-quality learning experiences, and acknowledges the hard work of all those involved in the day centre and hopes that it goes from strength to strength.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Stewart Maxwell, Bill Kidd, Anne McLaughlin, Aileen Campbell, Gil Paterson, Ross Finnie

S3M-5576 Jackie Baillie: Hands off Parklands Special School—That the Parliament notes with concern that Argyll and Bute Council is reviewing the role of Parklands Special School, which provides quality education for profoundly and multiply-disabled children and young people; understands that this review has come about because of the declining school roll; recognises that there is a presumption to include pupils with additional support needs in mainstream education; considers that mainstream education is not always the best solution for pupils with multiple and complex needs; acknowledges the quality and value of the work undertaken by the staff at Parklands Special School; believes that any proposal that involves closing or substantially altering the school would mean a great loss to the community of Helensburgh and Lomond, and therefore calls on Argyll and Bute Council to continue support for the school in its current role.

Supported by: Des McNulty, Rhona Brankin, Pauline McNeill, Marilyn Livingstone, Robin Harper, Hugh O’Donnell, Mr Frank McAveety, James Kelly, Bill Butler, Trish Godman, Ken Macintosh, Karen Whitefield, Hugh Henry, Sarah Boyack, Cathy Peattie, Ross Finnie

S3M-5575# Christine Grahame: Happy 20th Birthday, Radio Borders—That the Parliament recognises the important role of local radio such as Radio Borders, which is celebrating 20 years of broadcasting on Friday 22 January 2010; notes its invaluable role throughout the year in reporting on local issues and acting as an important messaging service, in particular in the recent bad weather, keeping people up to date with the travel and weather situation thanks to the presenters getting into work, and offers best wishes and thanks to all local radio stations but, in particular, Radio Borders.

Supported by: Derek Brownlee, Jamie Hepburn

S3M-5574 Bill Wilson: Renfrewshire’s Budget Priorities—That the Parliament congratulates SNP-led Renfrewshire Council on being the first local authority in Scotland to set its budget this year, with the emphasis on helping young and older people in Renfrewshire; recognises the £2.5 million additional funding for foster care, as well as the extra £312,000 being targeted towards older people to enable them to move out of hospital; notes the £250,000,000 investment programme in community, education and leisure facilities, and commends Renfrewshire Council on freezing council tax for a third successive year, all set against a backdrop of Labour cuts from Westminster.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Aileen Campbell, Anne McLaughlin, Kenneth Gibson, Joe FitzPatrick, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Brian Adam, Gil Paterson, Michael Matheson, Stewart Maxwell

S3M-5571 Shirley-Anne Somerville: Taught by the Pen Book Festival—That the Parliament welcomes the Taught by the Pen Edinburgh book festival organised by the Muslim Women’s Association of Edinburgh in association with Radio Ramadan Edinburgh; notes that this festival runs from 7 to 13 February 2010 and that admission is free for all ages; highlights the many events planned that include meet-the-author sessions, book discussions and calligraphy classes; wishes everyone involved the best of luck for a successful festival, and notes that further information and a programme of events can be found at http://taughtbythepen.wordpress.com.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Sarah Boyack, Robin Harper, Aileen Campbell, Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd, Christina McKelvie, Rob Gibson, Willie Coffey, Elaine Smith, Gil Paterson, Sandra White, Anne McLaughlin, Michael Matheson, Joe FitzPatrick

S3M-5570 Robin Harper: Scotland and Solway Tweed River Basin Management Plans—That the Parliament welcomes the recent publication of the first basin management plans for the Scotland and the Solway Tweed river basin districts; acknowledges that, on the back of the early passing of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 by the previous Parliament, these management plans have the potential to keep Scotland ahead in Europe in the second decade of the 21st century; considers that the Scottish Government has established the most comprehensive, risk-based regulatory tools in Europe for protecting and improving the water environment, ensuring that water management is based on assessments of genuine environmental risk and that developments are considered against criteria to encourage sustainable development and deliver benefits that outweigh risks to the water environment; welcomes its determination that regulation is not just about protection but about improvement, as shown in the long-term restoration plans for those elements of Scotland’s water environment that remain downgraded; congratulates the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Scottish Government for the levels of integration of planning already achieved, but calls on all stakeholders in the Scotland and Solway Tweed river basin districts, especially local authorities and farming, fishing, industrial, tourism and developer interests, to work closely together to ensure that the ambitious targets set for all water bodies in Scotland will be achieved over the next 17 years.

Supported by: Hugh Henry, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Elaine Murray

S3M-5569 John Lamont: Bill McLaren—That the Parliament notes with deep sadness the death of the "voice of rugby", Bill McLaren CBE, OBE, MBE, at the age of 86 in his home town of Hawick; recognises his huge contribution to the rugby world over almost 50 years of commentating for the BBC, and extends its condolences to his family.

Supported by: Anne McLaughlin, Bill Aitken, Ms Wendy Alexander, Kenneth Gibson, John Wilson, Elizabeth Smith, Patricia Ferguson, Robin Harper, Nanette Milne, Ted Brocklebank, Ian McKee, Murdo Fraser, Bill Wilson, John Park, John Scott, Jamie Hepburn, Rob Gibson, Stewart Maxwell, Jamie McGrigor, Bill Kidd, David McLetchie, James Kelly, Jim Hume, Stuart McMillan, Peter Peacock, Cathy Jamieson, George Foulkes, Brian Adam, Andy Kerr, Elaine Smith, Aileen Campbell, Mike Pringle, Des McNulty, Gavin Brown, Bob Doris, Margaret Mitchell, Ken Macintosh, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Derek Brownlee, Christine Grahame, Karen Gillon, Liam McArthur, Dr Richard Simpson, Sarah Boyack, Trish Godman, Hugh Henry, Gil Paterson, Bill Butler, Maureen Watt, Willie Coffey, David Whitton, Michael Matheson, Malcolm Chisholm, Ross Finnie, Irene Oldfather

S3M-5568 Bill Wilson: Moon-shot Mission, 10 New Drugs for 10 Neglected Diseases by 2020—That the Parliament welcomes the call by Professor Andrew Hopkins for enhanced collaboration among the pharmaceutical industry, academic research institutions and charities to drive major projects and scale up drug discovery for tropical diseases; notes his belief that this could lead to new procedures and result in major new discoveries, and welcomes his proposed "grand ‘moon-shot’ type of mission" to develop 10 new drugs for the 10 major neglected diseases by 2020.

Supported by: Stuart McMillan, Hugh O’Donnell, Robin Harper, Bob Doris, Kenneth Gibson, Sandra White, Michael Matheson, Joe FitzPatrick

S3M-5564 Shirley-Anne Somerville: Centre for Cities’ Report—That the Parliament welcomes the Centre for Cities’ report, Cities Outlook 2010, which places Edinburgh as one of the top UK cities to bounce back to recovery from the recession; highlights the think-tank’s claim that the turnaround of the UK’s largest cities will be critical to national recovery and that Edinburgh has the right ingredients to succeed after the recession has passed; considers that, with a key percentage of highly skilled workers, low youth unemployment and a number of knowledge-intensive businesses, the city continues to be a strong financial European capital, and congratulates the City of Edinburgh Council on its Economic Resilience Action Plan, which has supported the capital in being a good place to live and work during these tough economic times.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Stewart Maxwell, Mike Pringle, Aileen Campbell, Kenneth Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson

S3M-5563 Hugh Henry: UK Government Consultation on Post Bank—That the Parliament welcomes the consultation on the proposal for a Post Bank; considers that the Post Office already provides a vital service in local communities across Scotland; further considers that the Post Office has established public confidence and trust; believes that the creation of a Post Bank would provide essential banking services in a way that some major high street banks do not; considers that a Post Bank service would bring banking services back to the heart of local communities and would improve the sustainability of the Post Office network; welcomes the continued support for a Post Bank from the Communication Workers Union (CWU), Unite the Union and other trade unions; believes that the scope of the consultation should be widened to look at all structural options, including the Post Bank having its own financial licence as well as a wider range of funding options, and believes that the creation of a Post Bank should have the full support of the Scottish Parliament.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Bill Kidd, Robin Harper, Marlyn Glen, Cathy Peattie, Patricia Ferguson, David Whitton, Cathy Jamieson, Cathie Craigie, John Wilson, Elaine Murray, Des McNulty, Jackie Baillie, Margaret Curran, Mike Pringle, Karen Whitefield, Marilyn Livingstone, Kenneth Gibson, Hugh O’Donnell, John Park, Dr Richard Simpson, Sarah Boyack, Elaine Smith, Trish Godman, Mr Frank McAveety, Bill Butler, Mary Mulligan, Rhona Brankin, Ms Wendy Alexander, Malcolm Chisholm, Dave Thompson

S3M-5562 Hugh Henry: School Transport in Renfrewshire—That the Parliament notes with regret the decision by Renfrewshire Council to remove school transport from almost 1,000 secondary school pupils; believes that this will endanger many pupils and diminish their education; notes the decision of the council to reward top officials with an extra £321,000 in June 2008, and believes that the salaries of these officials should be cut back to help pay for the £274,000 needed in the next financial year to maintain school transport in Renfrewshire at existing levels.

Supported by: Ms Wendy Alexander, Jackie Baillie, David Whitton, Cathy Jamieson, Des McNulty, Elaine Smith, Trish Godman, Karen Whitefield, Marilyn Livingstone, Dr Richard Simpson, Mary Mulligan, Ken Macintosh, Bill Butler, Mr Frank McAveety, Pauline McNeill, Rhona Brankin

S3M-5561 Michael Matheson: Support for Haiti—That the Parliament understands the far-reaching consequences of the earthquake in Haiti; admires the swift response of governments and charitable organisations around the world for their admirable support; notes the difficulties that other organisations are having in joining this campaign, and encourages support for the Grangemouth-based International Rescue Corps, which has provided vital disaster relief in the past and is currently attempting to allocate enough donations to continue its heroic duties.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, Christina McKelvie, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Aileen Campbell, Alasdair Allan, Brian Adam, Hugh O’Donnell, Willie Coffey, Gil Paterson, Joe FitzPatrick, John Wilson, Linda Fabiani, Bob Doris, Des McNulty, Sandra White, Hugh Henry, Mr Frank McAveety, Ian McKee, Maureen Watt, Jackie Baillie, Cathy Peattie, Rob Gibson, Ken Macintosh, Stewart Maxwell, Marilyn Livingstone, Elaine Smith, Dave Thompson

S3M-5558 Stuart McMillan: Free Cook Schools in Inverclyde—That the Parliament welcomes the announcement by Inverclyde Council and Stepwell Consultancy Ltd that they are to team up to introduce free cook schools throughout Inverclyde to reduce the amount of food thrown away; notes that the six cook schools will be held over the next two months, from January to March 2010, and are open to everyone; further notes that the classes will cover a variety of skills such as basic cookery expertise, how to make the most of your freezer and how to ensure that you get the perfect portion, and acknowledges that this is an excellent initiative that will give the people of Inverclyde an opportunity to improve their cooking skills and at the same time learn how to save food and money.

Supported by: Robin Harper, Anne McLaughlin, Alasdair Allan, Bob Doris, Stewart Maxwell, Bill Kidd, Kenneth Gibson, Rob Gibson, Jamie Hepburn, Aileen Campbell, Gil Paterson

S3M-5557 Tom McCabe: University of Glasgow Beatson Pebble Appeal—That the Parliament congratulates the University of Glasgow’s Beatson Pebble Appeal on reaching the half-way stage in its fundraising, with £5 million of the £10 million raised; notes that the Beatson Pebble Appeal aims to build the Beatson Translational Research Centre (TRC) to help speed up the process of turning scientific discoveries into treatments for patients with cancer; applauds the appeal’s announcement that it will be the first cancer research facility in Scotland dedicated to translational research and welcomes the fact that the Beatson TRC will be part of the West of Scotland Comprehensive Cancer Centre in partnership with the NHS, Cancer Research UK and Leukaemia Research and will therefore directly serve over 60% of the Scottish population; recognises that scientific discoveries have the potential to be of benefit to patients worldwide, and wishes the Beatson Pebble Appeal, its fundraisers and supporters every continuing success in their important work.

Supported by: Kenneth Gibson, Robin Harper, Patricia Ferguson, Mary Mulligan, Bob Doris, Jackie Baillie, Joe FitzPatrick, Linda Fabiani, Hugh O’Donnell, Jackson Carlaw, Jamie Hepburn, Cathy Jamieson, Rhona Brankin, Malcolm Chisholm, Pauline McNeill, Elaine Smith, Aileen Campbell, Elaine Murray, Des McNulty, Bill Kidd, Ken Macintosh, Jack McConnell, Bill Aitken, Alasdair Allan, Marilyn Livingstone, Sandra White, Dr Richard Simpson, Sarah Boyack, Cathy Peattie, Trish Godman, Margaret Mitchell, Claire Baker, Christina McKelvie, Karen Whitefield, Cathie Craigie, Stuart McMillan, Hugh Henry, Ian McKee, Gil Paterson, Bill Butler, Irene Oldfather, Maureen Watt, Andrew Welsh, Michael Matheson, David Whitton, Rob Gibson, Ross Finnie, David McLetchie, John Scott, James Kelly, Mike Pringle, Richard Baker, Michael McMahon, Dave Thompson, Stewart Maxwell, Karen Gillon, John Farquhar Munro, Willie Coffey, Mr Frank McAveety, Patrick Harvie, Annabel Goldie

S3M-5556 Willie Coffey: Guide Dogs’ Talking Buses Campaign—That the Parliament acknowledges the role of accessible local bus services in the mobility of disabled people; recognises that the lack of audiovisual information systems on buses makes those services difficult to use for many people, and supports the Talking Buses campaign, led by the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and supported by many other organisations concerned with the needs of disabled people, which calls on the UK Government to amend the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000 to require audible and visual information systems on all new buses to provide information on the current stop, next stop and final destination.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Elaine Smith, Aileen Campbell, Jackie Baillie, Robin Harper, Sandra White, Bill Kidd, Bill Wilson, Bob Doris, Rob Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Hugh O’Donnell, Kenneth Gibson, Ross Finnie, Hugh Henry, Joe FitzPatrick, John Wilson, Des McNulty, Linda Fabiani, Robert Brown, Maureen Watt, Cathy Jamieson, Gil Paterson, Dave Thompson

S3M-5555 Bill Wilson: Renfrew Ferry—That the Parliament regrets the proposal by the Labour-dominated Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) to close the Renfrew Ferry, a centuries-old crossing of the Clyde that currently provides 140,000 passenger journeys every year; notes the importance of this connection for the people of Renfrew and Yoker, and calls on the SPT not to remove this vital connection between Glasgow and Renfrewshire.

Supported by: Stuart McMillan, John Wilson, Christopher Harvie, Rob Gibson, Bob Doris, Gil Paterson, Stewart Maxwell, Kenneth Gibson, Willie Coffey

S3M-5554 Maureen Watt: Calum Brown, Young Burnsian of the Year—That the Parliament congratulates 10-year-old Calum Brown from Culter on winning the prestigious Young Burnsian of the Year award through his piping performances; notes with sadness the recent passing of John Stewart who taught many pipers over the years, including Calum Brown, and applauds Calum’s decision to dedicate his victory to his former tutor.

Supported by: Nanette Milne, Bill Kidd, Brian Adam, Rob Gibson, Aileen Campbell, Bob Doris, Jamie McGrigor, Gil Paterson, Nigel Don, Stewart Maxwell, Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, Michael Matheson, Joe FitzPatrick, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5553 Murdo Fraser: BT Scotland Including You—That the Parliament congratulates British Telecom (BT) Scotland on its recent event on 14 January 2010 in the Scottish Parliament to highlight disability and inclusion; praises the work of BT and its partner organisations, Help the Aged, Everybody Online and Remploy, to create and improve services and products for disabled people; recognises the positive aims of BT’s Including you campaign, which brings together all aspects of inclusion policy from product design to work practices and people policies, and finally congratulates BT and its partner organisations on the work being done to include excluded people and to create a society in which everyone can participate.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Linda Fabiani

S3M-5552 Jackie Baillie: Keep Local Area Co-ordinators in Argyll and Bute—That the Parliament is disappointed to learn that Argyll and Bute Council is proposing to cut the local area co-ordination service; believes that, by doing so, Argyll and Bute Council will, unfortunately, be marking the 10th anniversary of the publication of The same as you? A review of services for people with learning disabilities by rejecting one of the major recommendations made in that report; considers that the service provided by local area co-ordinators is a valued and essential part of learning disability provision at a local level; understands that local area co-ordination models build inclusive communities in which people with learning disabilities and their families can fully participate; further believes that this model is cost effective for local authorities as it saves money by building an individual’s capacity and, with early intervention, diverts people from using statutory services, and therefore urges Argyll and Bute Council to abandon this detrimental proposal.

Supported by: Dr Richard Simpson, Pauline McNeill, Robin Harper, Des McNulty, Mary Mulligan, Rhona Brankin, Hugh O’Donnell, Elaine Smith, Sarah Boyack, Marilyn Livingstone, Trish Godman, Karen Whitefield

S3M-5551 Christina McKelvie: A New Campus for Motherwell College and a New Era for Ravenscraig—That the Parliament welcomes the official opening on Friday 15 January 2010 of Motherwell College’s new campus on the site of the former Ravenscraig steelworks; notes that the £70 million project provides state-of-the-art facilities for learners in Lanarkshire, including an automotive shop, a dance studio, training kitchens and an onsite nursery; congratulates the Motherwell College Board of Management, staff, students and College Principal, Hugh Logan, on the time and effort that they have put into the realisation of this inspiring learning environment; believes that the opening of the campus marks a milestone in the regeneration of the iconic Ravenscraig site, and looks forward to Motherwell College continuing to produce high quality graduates who have the skills and knowledge that Scotland needs to flourish in the years to come.

Supported by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, Michael Matheson, Rob Gibson, Robin Harper, Anne McLaughlin, Bob Doris, Aileen Campbell, Margaret Mitchell, Stewart Maxwell, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Kenneth Gibson, Jamie Hepburn, Linda Fabiani, Jack McConnell, John Wilson, Gil Paterson, Karen Whitefield

S3M-5550 Sandra White: Haiti Earthquake Disaster—That the Parliament expresses its profound sadness for the victims of the Haitian earthquake, which has seen over 200,000 feared dead while over a million people have been left homeless and in desperate need of basic humanitarian aid; commends the spirit of compassion and generosity that has been shown by the Scottish people in their response to the disaster, and hopes that, through the immense efforts being made by people worldwide, immediate relief can be delivered to the people of Haiti and that lasting reconstruction can begin.

Supported by: Ian McKee, Maureen Watt, Rob Gibson, Liam McArthur, Kenneth Gibson, Aileen Campbell, Nanette Milne, Elizabeth Smith, Alasdair Allan, Bill Kidd, Brian Adam, Robin Harper, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Ken Macintosh, Stuart McMillan, Hugh O’Donnell, John Lamont, Gil Paterson, Margaret Mitchell, Bob Doris, Elaine Smith, Jamie Hepburn, Cathy Jamieson, Linda Fabiani, Jim Tolson, Trish Godman, Hugh Henry, Michael Matheson, Joe FitzPatrick, Dave Thompson, Karen Whitefield

S3M-5549 John Park: Congratulations to Calaiswood School and Nursery Class—That the Parliament congratulates Calaiswood School and Nursery Class for receiving an excellent HM Inspectorate of Education report, published on 19 January 2010; recognises that Calaiswood School was formed following the merger of Headwell and Robert Henryson schools and provides specialist education to meet the needs of children and young people who have complex and additional support needs; is delighted to note that, in all aspects of the work of the school and nursery class, the evaluations received are either of very good or excellent standard; welcomes the report’s recognition of the huge commitment and achievements of Headteacher Maureen Lorimer and all staff at the school, and believes that pupils, parents and staff can be rightly proud of the fantastic achievements of the school and its pupils.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Elizabeth Smith, Mary Mulligan, Des McNulty, Ken Macintosh, Hugh O’Donnell, Jim Tolson, Paul Martin, James Kelly, Helen Eadie, Bill Kidd, Cathy Jamieson, Marilyn Livingstone, Dr Richard Simpson, Mr Frank McAveety, Karen Whitefield

S3M-5548 Ms Wendy Alexander: Congratulations to Lloyds TSB Foundation Chief Executive Mary Craig OBE—That the Parliament congratulates Mary Craig, the Chief Executive of Lloyds TSB Foundation, on her recent OBE, awarded by HM the Queen in the New Year’s Honours list; notes that the honour is recognition of the invaluable work of the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland in communities across the country; further notes the ongoing dispute between the foundation and Lloyds Banking Group, and urges the group to support the foundation to continue its vital work with sufficient funding and its independence intact.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Patricia Ferguson, Mr Frank McAveety, Robin Harper, Mary Mulligan, Robert Brown, Dr Richard Simpson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Ken Macintosh, Ian McKee, Hugh O’Donnell, Rhona Brankin, Des McNulty, Pauline McNeill, Karen Whitefield, Liam McArthur, Elaine Smith, Sarah Boyack, Jack McConnell, Marilyn Livingstone, Trish Godman, Hugh Henry

S3M-5546 Ms Wendy Alexander: Threat to Renfrew Ferry—That the Parliament regrets the threat to the Renfrew Ferry, the second cut proposed to public transport infrastructure in Renfrewshire, following the Scottish Government’s cancellation of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link; notes that the Renfrew-Yoker ferry links the north and south banks of the Clyde, is 500 years old and one of Scotland’s oldest ferry links, is used by over 140,000 passengers a year and costs £1.10 for a single adult journey; considers the ferry to be a vital public transport link, and calls on every avenue to be explored to retain this link, including, if necessary, support from the Scottish Government.

Supported by: Des McNulty, Mary Mulligan, David Whitton, Mr Frank McAveety, Jackie Baillie, Robin Harper, Hugh Henry, Bill Butler, Sarah Boyack, Rhona Brankin, Marilyn Livingstone, Karen Gillon, Trish Godman, Dr Richard Simpson, Patricia Ferguson, Ken Macintosh, Elaine Murray

S3M-5546.1 Bill Kidd: Threat to Renfrew Ferry—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5546) in the name of Ms Wendy Alexander, leave out from "threat" to end and insert "intention of Labour-led Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) to sink the Renfrew Ferry service; notes that the Renfrew-Yoker ferry links the north and south banks of the Clyde, is 500 years old and one of Scotland’s oldest ferry links, is used by over 140,000 passengers a year and costs £1.10 for a single adult journey; considers the ferry to be a vital public transport link, and calls on Labour-led SPT, which is funded by all local authorities in Strathclyde, to deliver key services in the region to retain this link when it considers the matter on 22 January 2010".

Supported by: Sandra White, Bob Doris, Aileen Campbell, Anne McLaughlin, Stuart McMillan, Brian Adam, Bill Wilson, Christina McKelvie, Gil Paterson, Stewart Maxwell

S3M-5545 Pauline McNeill: Celebrating the Opening of the New Glasgow Warriors’ Training Base—That the Parliament welcomes the opening of the Glasgow Warriors’ new training base at Scotstoun stadium; acknowledges the £18 million redevelopment on the site, which will play a key part in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow; notes the Princess Royal’s attendance at the opening ceremony and hopes that all of Scottish rugby will be able to benefit from the facility, and welcomes the partnership of Scottish Rugby, Glasgow City Council and Culture and Sport Glasgow to ensure that the facility becomes a centre of excellence for rugby.

Supported by: Mr Frank McAveety, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Karen Gillon, Nanette Milne, Elizabeth Smith, Stewart Maxwell, Des McNulty, Ken Macintosh, James Kelly, Mary Mulligan, Liam McArthur, Sarah Boyack, Elaine Smith, Jackson Carlaw, Jackie Baillie, Bob Doris, Karen Whitefield, Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, Marilyn Livingstone, Trish Godman, Dr Richard Simpson

S3M-5544 Cathy Jamieson: Recognition of Council Workers’ Efforts during the Big Freeze—That the Parliament recognises the efforts of council workers in East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire who made tremendous efforts to keep services going and respond to the public during the recent severe weather; notes that, while priority was given to gritting and clearing snow from major routes, many roads and pavements in housing schemes and outlying areas were not treated, causing difficulty for local residents; urges the councils, in light of the recent experience, to consult local communities while reviewing the effectiveness of their winter plans, and calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire councils have adequate resources to deal with the aftermath of the freeze and subsequent thaw.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Dr Richard Simpson, James Kelly, Karen Gillon, Mary Mulligan, Robin Harper, Rhoda Grant, Mr Frank McAveety, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5544.1 Willie Coffey: Recognition of Council Workers’ Efforts during the Big Freeze—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5544) in the name of Cathy Jamieson, leave out from first "South Ayrshire" to end and insert "other local authority areas who made tremendous efforts to keep services going and respond to the public during the recent severe weather; considers that efforts to cope with the severe weather were hampered by the decision of the previous Labour/Liberal Democrat executive to privatise the maintenance of Scotland’s trunk roads, a decision condemned by the chairman of the Scottish Police Federation as having led to a reduced standard of winter maintenance; recalls that one of the few inputs by the Labour Party to the budget process for 2009-10 was a proposal to take £10 million out of the roads maintenance budget to fund air travel and that this was rightly rejected by every other party in the Parliament, and condemns the actions of members who supported these policies and have criticised the efforts of local councils during one of the most severe weather events of recent years."

Supported by: Brian Adam, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Alasdair Allan, Gil Paterson

S3M-5543 Dave Thompson: Decision to Close the Beechwood House DP—That the Parliament notes with dismay the decision to close the designated place (DP) at Beechwood House in Inverness, which, for 19 years, has been open to over 900 referrals annually by the police, the NHS and other agencies for people struggling with the impact of alcohol; notes that the Beechwood House DP provides, as an alternative to police custody, a safe place for recovery and rehabilitation for those deemed drunk and incapable and is one of only two in the whole of Scotland, of which the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland thematic inspection report of October 2008, Medical Services for people in police custody, noted "Throughout the Scottish police service both are considered to be examples of good practice that could usefully be extended across Scotland."; considers that the decision by the Highland Alcohol and Drugs Partnership to remove support from the Beechwood House DP without identifying any alternative options will have a dramatic knock-on effect on the NHS and on the police service, which will be forced to use police cells and other resources to manage drunk and incapable people who need only a safe place to recover, and, finally, calls on the board of NHS Highland, which received a 45% increase in funding in 2009-10 (to £2,267,711) to deal with alcohol misuse, to now urgently consider taking responsibility for the DP as recommended in the 2009 Scottish Government report, Managing the Needs of Drunk and Incapable People in Scotland: a Literature Review and Needs Assessment.

Supported by: Aileen Campbell, Michael Matheson, Stuart McMillan, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Robin Harper, Jack McConnell, Gil Paterson, Christina McKelvie, Anne McLaughlin, Sandra White, Rob Gibson, John Wilson, Bill Wilson, Jamie Stone, Ian McKee, Maureen Watt, Christopher Harvie, Alasdair Allan, Bob Doris, Mike Pringle

S3M-5543.1 Rhoda Grant: Decision to Close the Beechwood House DP—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5543) in the name of Dave Thompson, leave out from "finally" to end and insert "calls on the Scottish Government to now urgently provide the required funding to the Beechwood House DP to ensure its continued operation".

S3M-5542 Marilyn Livingstone: Future Jobs Fund Employment in Fife—That the Parliament welcomes the announcement that 238 jobs are to be created in Fife through funding provided by the UK Government’s Future Jobs Fund, following a successful partnership bid for funding led by Fife Council; recognises that the posts will be focused on improving the local community and will be available across the region over the next year; commends the Future Jobs Fund, which was set up to support the creation of around 150,000 jobs for people aged 18 to 24 who are long-term unemployed or who face significant disadvantages in the labour market; acknowledges that two thirds of the jobs in Fife are expected to be filled by this age bracket, with one third to be allocated to long-term unemployed people aged 25 or over, and commends the fact that the jobs are designed to give people who have been out of work for a significant period of time the experience and confidence that will help them to find long-term employment and that will be essential to help Scotland’s economic recovery.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, David Whitton, Mary Mulligan, Claire Baker, Mr Frank McAveety, John Park, Karen Whitefield, Rhona Brankin, Jim Tolson, Trish Godman, Hugh Henry, Gil Paterson

S3M-5540 Jackie Baillie: Unfair Nursery Charges—That the Parliament regrets that SNP-controlled West Dunbartonshire Council has imposed additional charges for nursery care; notes that the hourly rate is to increase by almost 30%; further notes that the proposed charging structure, which block charges at a flat rate for up to five hours and up to 10 hours, does not even reflect the hours of some nurseries that are open for only up to eight hours; considers that the abolition of the 50% discount for additional children will have huge financial implications for many families; further understands that these charges have been imposed without consultation with those affected and without an equality impact assessment; recognises that the council has to look at ways to increase its revenue; however, strongly believes that an average increase in revenue of 70% is completely unfair on families at a time of economic instability, and therefore calls on West Dunbartonshire Council to abandon these deeply punishing charges.

Supported by: Cathy Jamieson, James Kelly, Elaine Smith, David Whitton, Dr Richard Simpson, Mary Mulligan, Marilyn Livingstone, Hugh Henry, Cathy Peattie, Andy Kerr

S3M-5539 Nigel Don: Congratulations to Tillydrone Fundraising Group—That the Parliament congratulates the members of the fundraising group in Aberdeen’s Tillydrone area who have raised £5,000 for Bezallel Primary School in the Ugandan town of Kumali; notes that the money will be used to buy a tractor to cultivate land owned by the school; further notes that this donation follows a donation of clothes and stationery to Kumali from the residents of Tillydrone in 2008; welcomes the link between Tillydrone and Kumali, and wishes the volunteers well for their trip to Uganda in February 2010 and their future fundraising efforts.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Nanette Milne, Bill Kidd, Sandra White, Alasdair Allan, Stuart McMillan, Aileen Campbell, Brian Adam, Michael Matheson, Robin Harper, Lewis Macdonald, Alison McInnes, Gil Paterson, Maureen Watt

S3M-5538 Cathy Jamieson: Postal Deliveries During the Big Freeze—That the Parliament recognises the efforts made by postal workers to ensure that deliveries continued to be made during the recent severe weather including to rural homes in Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley and notes that this is appreciated by constituents.

Supported by: Bill Butler, Jackson Carlaw, Kenneth Gibson, Patrick Harvie, Pauline McNeill, Elaine Smith, Jackie Baillie, James Kelly, Karen Gillon, Elaine Murray, Mary Mulligan, Karen Whitefield, Christine Grahame, Rhoda Grant, Gil Paterson, Mr Frank McAveety, Cathy Peattie, Marlyn Glen

S3M-5537 Mr Frank McAveety: Scottish Rugby Celebrated at Parliament—That the Parliament congratulates Scottish Rugby on its recent event on 13 January 2010 in the Scottish Parliament to highlight ongoing extensive work both on and off the pitch; notes Scottish Rugby’s efforts to boost rugby in schools and communities; welcomes new national team coach Andy Robinson, Scottish internationals Nick De Luca and Kelly Brown and other senior Scottish Rugby officials to the Parliament; congratulates the Scottish national team on its excellent performance in the autumn tests, and wishes it the best of luck for its forthcoming Six Nations campaign that kicks off at Murrayfield on 7 February against France.

Supported by: Sarah Boyack, Karen Whitefield, Christine Grahame, Jamie Hepburn, Rhoda Grant, Jack McConnell, Margaret Curran, Stewart Maxwell, Nigel Don, Elaine Smith, Pauline McNeill, Jackie Baillie, James Kelly, Liam McArthur, Elizabeth Smith, Robin Harper, Sandra White, John Park, Hugh Henry, Bill Wilson, Stuart McMillan, John Wilson, Patricia Ferguson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Rhona Brankin, Jamie McGrigor, Kenneth Gibson, Trish Godman, Bob Doris, Andy Kerr, Ken Macintosh, Nanette Milne, Ross Finnie, David Whitton, Mike Pringle, Cathy Jamieson, Elaine Murray, Joe FitzPatrick, Mary Mulligan, Hugh O’Donnell, Gil Paterson, Marilyn Livingstone

S3M-5536.1 Elaine Smith: Breaking the Circle of Violence: Scared to Go Home—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5536) in the name of John Wilson, leave out from "praises" to end and insert "understands, however, that this is overwhelmingly a crime of male violence against women and children with 88% of crimes and offences of domestic abuse and 95% of crimes of indecency, which are mostly crimes of sexual assault, being perpetrated by men against women, making it clearly a gender issue and an exploitation of power."

Supported by: Cathy Peattie, Marlyn Glen, Margaret Curran, Malcolm Chisholm, Mary Mulligan, Bill Butler, Sandra White, Gil Paterson, Johann Lamont

S3M-5535 Richard Baker: Tackling the Use of Legal Highs—That the Parliament congratulates Tayside Police and partner agencies for their work in tackling the misuse of substances purchased through internet sites purporting to sell legal highs; notes that there have been particular problems with increased use of the stimulants often know as bubbles and Mcat in recent months in areas including Angus and in particular by young people, which has resulted in serious harm with several people being hospitalised as a consequence; notes that the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is currently considering whether to outlaw the stimulant, Mephedrone, as a top priority and is due to report back early in 2010; congratulates Tayside Police and other forces on their work in seeking to prosecute those people who distribute such substances for their reckless conduct, and congratulates Tayside Police and its partner agencies for their education and awareness campaigns on the health risks posed by these substances.

Supported by: Gil Paterson, Jackie Baillie, Robin Harper, Bill Kidd, James Kelly, Dr Richard Simpson, Elaine Murray, Mary Mulligan, Karen Whitefield, Trish Godman, Jamie Hepburn, Rhona Brankin, Marilyn Livingstone, Hugh Henry

S3M-5534 Mike Pringle: Congratulations to Lothian and Borders Police—That the Parliament congratulates Lothian and Borders Police on seizing almost £1.5 million worth of cocaine in the last nine months; commends the Serious Organised Crime Unit that was launched in September 2009 for its role in the proactive approach that Lothian and Borders Police are taking to tackling drug crime; notes that, if seizure rates are maintained, Lothian and Borders Police are on course to beat both of its previous records of £1.9 million worth of cocaine and £2.4 million worth of class A drugs, consisting almost entirely of cocaine and heroin, seized in a calendar year, and wishes Lothian and Borders Police every success in its continuing efforts to tackle drug crime.

Supported by: Sarah Boyack, Christine Grahame, Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell

S3M-5533 Bob Doris: SECC Success and Community Benefit—That the Parliament congratulates all those involved with the trading success of the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC), which has reported a 47% increase in trading profits to £627,812 for 2008-09; notes that SEC Ltd is 91% owned by Glasgow City Council and that such success can only be beneficial to both the city’s reputation as a first-class venue for events as well as to Glasgow’s finances; however, has concerns over the decision of SEC Ltd to charge £101.97 plus VAT to journalists for the use of an electric power point at the Glasgow North East by-election, which had a substantial effect on the finances of small community news providers; considers that with the 2010 UK election imminent there should be a review of charges by SEC Ltd that may prohibit local journalists being able to report on the democratic process, and believes that a more general review of the SEC Ltd pricing policy would be welcome to ensure that the SECC is accessible and affordable for use by local small businesses, charities and community organisations.

Supported by: Rob Gibson, Kenneth Gibson, Gil Paterson, Aileen Campbell, Bill Kidd, Michael Matheson, Jamie Hepburn

S3M-5532 Marilyn Livingstone: Greener Kirkcaldy—That the Parliament welcomes Greener Kirkcaldy, a new environmental community group, and its project that aims to help people in the Kirkcaldy area to reduce their carbon footprints and fuel bills; notes that the group plans to open an information centre in Kirkcaldy town centre in April 2010 and to work with community groups and schools throughout the local area; commends the project for aiming to advise people on a range of environmental issues such as energy efficiency, greener transport options, waste reduction and sources of local food, and considers that the project and the additional jobs and volunteering options that it will bring will be a valuable addition to Kirkcaldy town centre.

Supported by: Sandra White, Bill Kidd, Cathy Jamieson, Dr Richard Simpson, Robin Harper, Sarah Boyack, Jackie Baillie, Mary Mulligan, John Park, Karen Whitefield, Gil Paterson

S3M-5531 Karen Whitefield: Active Literacy Success at St Brigid’s Primary, Newmains—That the Parliament congratulates St Brigid’s Primary in Newmains on its outstanding work in piloting North Lanarkshire’s Active Literacy Programme; notes that St Brigid’s has piloted the latest programme targeted at pupils with additional support needs; further notes that the school was recently praised by HM Inspectorate of Education for its literacy work; recognises that the Active Literacy pilot has resulted in significant improvements in St Brigid’s national test results, with reading levels improved from 89% in 2006 to 93.4% in 2008, writing from 66% in 2006 to 85.8% in 2008 and maths results improving from 72% in 2006 to 91.5% in 2008; commends the hard work and commitment of all staff at St Brigid’s involved in delivering the Active Literacy Programme, and believes that North Lanarkshire’s Active Literacy pilot is a shining example of how to achieve high literacy levels for all.

Supported by: James Kelly, Cathy Peattie, Marlyn Glen, Michael McMahon, Patricia Ferguson, Bill Butler, Rhona Brankin, Jackie Baillie, Hugh Henry, Des McNulty, Cathie Craigie, Cathy Jamieson, Mr Frank McAveety, Elaine Smith, Robin Harper, Mary Mulligan, Sarah Boyack, Trish Godman, Jack McConnell, Marilyn Livingstone

S3M-5530 Willie Coffey: Eglinton Watercolours—That the Parliament congratulates East Ayrshire Council on taking delivery on 13 January 2010 of the Eglinton watercolours by James Henry Nixon, which were painted to commemorate the Eglinton Tournament that was held over three days in August 1839 and are considered to be of outstanding significance for the study of Scottish social history and of the 19th century Gothic Revival; notes also that historic shields, used to furnish the knights’ tents at the tournament, have been purchased along with the watercolours; welcomes the support that the council received for this purchase from the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Art Fund, the Barcapel Foundation and the National Fund for Acquisitions, and considers that the watercolours and shields, which are important parts of Ayrshire’s heritage, will significantly enhance the council’s already impressive art collection.

Supported by: Michael Matheson, Alasdair Allan, Aileen Campbell, Robin Harper, Anne McLaughlin, Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd, Stewart Maxwell, Jim Hume, Kenneth Gibson, Linda Fabiani, Brian Adam, Gil Paterson, Maureen Watt

S3M-5529 Bob Doris: Applauding an Era, Maintaining the Link—That the Parliament acknowledges the outstanding services provided by the Queen Mother’s Hospital in Glasgow over the last 46 years and the dedication and professionalism of its doctors, nurses and midwives; appreciates the suggestion by Professor Andrew Calder, who led plans to bring maternity, paediatric and adult hospital services together in Glasgow, that "Queen Mother’s" should be retained in some form in the title of the new maternity unit at the Southern General Hospital as a link to the proud record of this pioneering hospital; looks forward to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children currently at Yorkhill being co-located with the new Southern General unit in 2015 when it moves to that site; commends the Evening Times and all those involved in the campaign to have these new facilities co-located, and looks forward to the tradition of excellence and innovation established at the Queen Mother’s Hospital continuing at the new facility for many years to come.

Supported by: Michael Matheson, Kenneth Gibson, Hugh Henry, Stuart McMillan, Anne McLaughlin, Jackson Carlaw, Rob Gibson, Aileen Campbell, Bill Kidd, Gil Paterson

S3M-5528 Jackson Carlaw: A Medical Centre for Newton Mearns—That the Parliament notes that Newton Mearns is the largest centre of population in East Renfrewshire, with an age profile, unemployment level and disability rate all higher than the average for the area and that, despite having such a profile, it does not have its own medical facility; considers that this results in clinics having to be held in inappropriate council halls with no waiting rooms and poor parking or even in local supermarkets; further notes that, at its meeting on 11 January 2009, Newton Mearns Community Council unanimously voted for Newton Mearns to be given its own medical centre to bring such piecemeal and unsatisfactory arrangements to an end, and calls on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the Scottish Government and East Renfrewshire Council to take note of this development and work together to provide the residents of Newton Mearns with the medical facilities that they both require and thoroughly deserve, thereby putting them on an equal footing with other communities throughout East Renfrewshire.

Supported by: Elizabeth Smith, Nanette Milne, Jamie McGrigor, Murdo Fraser, Bill Aitken, Stewart Maxwell, Margaret Mitchell, Annabel Goldie, John Lamont, Ted Brocklebank, Bill Wilson, Ken Macintosh

S3M-5527 David Stewart: Congratulations to the Isle of Eigg, Winner of the Big Green Challenge—That the Parliament congratulates the Isle of Eigg community on being named a winner of the Big Green Challenge and awarded £300,000 from the £1 million prize fund that encourages community-led carbon emission reductions; notes that the Isle of Eigg team slashed CO₂ emissions by an impressive 32% in the last year alone, making a significant impact on the United Kingdom’s 2020 emissions reduction target of 34%; further notes that the Isle of Eigg project fought off competition from over 350 community groups across the UK as a result of its achievements over the course of a year in four areas: CO₂ reductions achieved, the innovative nature of its initiatives, the longevity and scalability of the project and the level of community engagement, and commends the ambitions of the Eigg community to go even further and use the prize money to fulfil its ambitions to reduce Eigg’s carbon footprint to ensure a low-carbon future for the island.

Supported by: Mary Mulligan, John Scott, Jackie Baillie, Sarah Boyack, Rhoda Grant, Peter Peacock, Rhona Brankin, Bill Kidd, Mr Frank McAveety, Jamie McGrigor, Hugh Henry, Patrick Harvie, Hugh O’Donnell, Patricia Ferguson, Cathy Jamieson, Ian McKee, Trish Godman, Elaine Murray, Jack McConnell, Marilyn Livingstone, Ken Macintosh, Rob Gibson, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5526 Pauline McNeill: Closure of the Queen Mother’s Maternity Hospital—That the Parliament notes with sadness the closure of the Queen Mother’s Maternity Hospital in Glasgow; commemorates its work over the years; recognises the pioneering ultrasound techniques developed at the facility that brought the hospital world-wide recognition; notes the view of Professor Andrew Calder who called for the name to be retained at the new site and for it to be named the Queen Mother’s Maternity Unit of the Southern General Hospital, and calls on the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing to consider this proposal.

Supported by: Mr Frank McAveety, Ken Macintosh, James Kelly, Cathy Jamieson, Karen Gillon, Malcolm Chisholm, Margaret Curran, Jack McConnell, Jackson Carlaw, Jackie Baillie, Elaine Smith, Hugh Henry, Mary Mulligan, Irene Oldfather, Dr Richard Simpson, Bill Aitken, Sarah Boyack, Trish Godman, Marilyn Livingstone, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5525 Bill Wilson: The Illegality of the Invasion of Iraq and the Detention of Anthony Charles Lynton Blair—That the Parliament welcomes the finding of an independent Dutch commission that UN Security Council Resolution 1441 "cannot reasonably be interpreted as authorising individual member states to use military force to compel Iraq to comply with the Security Council’s resolutions, without authorization from the Security Council"; notes that data gathered by Opinion Research Business indicated that, in September 2007, approximately one million Iraqi citizens had died as a result of the invasion of that country; further notes that, according to media reports, Hans Blix considers that the invasion was illegal and believes that the former UK Prime Minister and former US President misled the public; acknowledges that, according to the High Court of Justiciary in Lord Advocate’s Reference No.1 of 2000, "a rule of customary international law is a rule of Scots law" and considers that, this being the case, the appropriate Scottish law enforcement agencies have the power to investigate the conclusions of the Dutch commission and the role of the former UK Prime Minister, Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, in waging a war of aggression, and looks forward to his detention and indictment.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Bill Kidd, Aileen Campbell, Christine Grahame, Ian McKee, Gil Paterson, Sandra White

S3M-5525.1 George Foulkes: The Illegality of the Invasion of Iraq and the Detention of Anthony Charles Lynton Blair—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5525) in the name of Bill Wilson, leave out from "welcomes" to end and insert "recalls delegations of Kurds and Marsh Arabs who visited the United Kingdom in the 1980s and 1990s describing the torture, murder and genocide of their people by Saddam Hussein and their calls on British politicians to take action to help them; further recalls the feeling of impotence atBritain’s inability to help, and therefore believes that the action taken by the UK Government led by Tony Blair and supported by a vote in the House of Commons was not only justified by the UNresolution and convention on genocide but was morally right in ridding the world of one of its bloodiest dictators and giving theIraqi people the opportunity to elect their own government and move towardspeaceand prosperity."

Supported by: David Whitton, Rhoda Grant

S3M-5524 Bill Kidd: Reversal of Ministry of Defence Decision to Sell Kentigern House—That the Parliament welcomes the decision of the Ministry of Defence to abandon its plans to sell off Kentigern House in Glasgow for £47.7 million and lease the building back on a 20-year contract at an annual rental of almost £3.6 million; congratulates the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) and the Ministry of Defence civil servants and Hewlett Packard staff working at the site on their successful campaign to reverse the decision, and considers that the sale-and-leaseback proposal would have been gravely shortsighted, at a cost of £150 million to the taxpayer in the long run, and that common sense has prevailed over such myopic decision making.

Supported by: Brian Adam, Alasdair Allan, John Wilson, Jamie Hepburn, Stuart McMillan, Rob Gibson, Michael Matheson, Kenneth Gibson, Sandra White, Aileen Campbell, Bob Doris, Christina McKelvie, Gil Paterson

S3M-5523 Rob Gibson: Big Green Winners—That the Parliament congratulates the community group on the Isle of Eigg as one of the three winners of the Big Green Challenge, a lucrative competition created to encourage community-led carbon emission reductions; praises the Isle of Eigg team for slashing its CO₂ emissions by an impressive 32% in the last year alone, making a significant impact on Scotland’s 2020 emissions reduction target of 42%; notes that the team will receive £300,000 from NESTA to continue these efforts to reduce carbon emissions, and wishes members of the team all the best in also helping other communities to learn from their experience.

Supported by: Dave Thompson, Jamie Hepburn, Patrick Harvie, Brian Adam, Stuart McMillan, Sandra White, Bob Doris, Kenneth Gibson, Aileen Campbell, Jackie Baillie, Stewart Maxwell, Nanette Milne, Jamie McGrigor, Bill Kidd, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Ian McKee, Linda Fabiani, Maureen Watt, Joe FitzPatrick, Gil Paterson

S3M-5522 Cathy Peattie: Climate Change, the Road from Copenhagen—That the Parliament recognises that, while the outcome of the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15) was disappointing to many, particularly those countries most vulnerable to sea level rises or desertification, the conference was never going to be more than a step on the road to building comprehensive and effective global action on climate change; considers that Scotland has a sound basis for future action in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and that this Act has been widely applauded internationally as a yardstick for progressive climate change legislation, and believes that the Scottish Government should proceed, with the least possible delay, to implement and build on the commitments and initiatives of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

Supported by: Robin Harper, Elaine Murray, Sarah Boyack, Patricia Ferguson, Jamie Hepburn, Marlyn Glen, James Kelly, David Whitton, Jackie Baillie, Trish Godman, Mary Mulligan, Bill Butler, Hugh Henry, Des McNulty, Elaine Smith, Karen Whitefield, Rhoda Grant, Marilyn Livingstone, Rob Gibson

S3M-5521 Gil Paterson: Round One Win for Dalmuir Park—That the Parliament welcomes the decision by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to award Dalmuir Park a first-round pass in an application for funding to help regenerate this important piece of green space in Clydebank; believes that the park is an important asset to the health and wellbeing of the people of Clydebank; encourages West Dunbartonshire Council in its endeavours, while welcoming its success in being awarded £11,700 by the HLF, and looks forward to a successful second-round application.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Bill Wilson, Robin Harper, Bob Doris, Stuart McMillan, Anne McLaughlin, Michael Matheson, Stewart Maxwell, Bill Kidd, Jackson Carlaw, Rob Gibson, Des McNulty, Sandra White, Aileen Campbell, Annabel Goldie

S3M-5520 Aileen Campbell: Dutch Inquiry Finds Iraq War Was Illegal—That the Parliament notes the findings of the Dutch Committee of Inquiry on Iraq, which, at the request of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, investigated the political support given by the Netherlands for the invasion of Iraq in the period from the summer of 2002 to the summer of 2003; notes the committee’s conclusion that "the military action had no sound mandate under international law", and believes that this finding gives further weight to the argument that the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was illegal, that such findings should be taken into account by the Chilcot Iraq Inquiry currently under way in London and that those responsible for such illegal actions should be held to account under the terms of international law.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Christopher Harvie, Sandra White, Alasdair Allan, Robin Harper, Gil Paterson, Patrick Harvie, Brian Adam, Anne McLaughlin, Joe FitzPatrick, Angela Constance, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Ian McKee, Kenneth Gibson, Mike Pringle, Christine Grahame

S3M-5519 Joe FitzPatrick: University of Strathclyde and GSK Groundbreaking Postgraduate Chemistry MPhil Research Programme—That the Parliament congratulates the University of Strathclyde and world-leading pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) on the first ever initiative in the United Kingdom to deliver a bespoke postgraduate MPhil chemistry degree programme; pays tribute to the expertise and professionalism of the university staff in achieving this outcome; recognises that this unique research programme will be geared towards identifying and developing novel treatments for a range of diseases, including respiratory, inflammatory, neurological and psychiatric diseases; acknowledges the potential that this will have to deliver considerable benefits for patients and public health; commends this innovative initiative as a tangible demonstration of the benefits of collaboration, in particular the knowledge exchange between academia and industry, and notes that the programme is designed to allow GSK employees to develop novel research approaches towards new treatments and, in so doing, aims to benefit society as a whole.

Supported by: Liam McArthur, Nanette Milne, Ms Wendy Alexander, Linda Fabiani, Dr Richard Simpson, Rob Gibson, Kenneth Gibson, Gil Paterson, Elaine Murray, Michael Matheson, Aileen Campbell, Bill Kidd, Brian Adam, Bill Aitken, Maureen Watt, Des McNulty, Andrew Welsh, Bob Doris, Jack McConnell, Sandra White, Mr Frank McAveety, Robert Brown, Charlie Gordon, James Kelly, Mary Scanlon, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5518 Mike Rumbles: Threat to Aberdeen Plastic Surgery and Burns Unit—That the Parliament notes with concern the plans of NHS Grampian to downgrade and downsize the Aberdeen Plastic Surgery and Burns Unit, the unit that looked after many of the survivors of the Piper Alpha disaster; further notes that the plans are proceeding in the face of grave reservations from the unit’s consultants; recognises the important work carried out by the unit, which undertakes complex reconstruction of cancer cases, trauma cases and burns as well as work in areas such as hand surgery, breast reconstruction and head and neck surgery; believes that the unit, which serves the needs of over half a million people from the Northern Isles to Aberdeen, cannot continue to offer the full range of services if its beds are reduced by 40% as currently planned; considers that the contraction of the plastic surgery provision in Aberdeen, while it is expanded in the central belt, would lead to unacceptable inequalities of service levels across Scotland, and calls on the Scottish Government and NHS Grampian to work constructively with the consultants and staff in the unit to revise the plans to allow the unit to maintain and build on the work that it currently carries out.

Supported by: Tavish Scott, Liam McArthur, Jamie Stone, Mike Pringle, Hugh Henry, Alex Johnstone, Hugh O’Donnell, Ross Finnie, Richard Baker, Alison McInnes

S3M-5517 Elaine Smith: Grand Theft Childhood—That the Parliament notes with concern recent research that indicates that video games featuring high levels of violence can be detrimental to those playing them; acknowledges that these games can have a particularly negative effect on children and young people; recognises that violent video games are successfully marketed to and easily obtained by children and young people; notes with concern evidence to suggest that parents are purchasing video games for children younger than the certified age range; believes that parents should be made aware of the possible risk to children’s emotional and psychological development as a result of prolonged use of violent video games; further believes that the Scottish Government should engage in a productive debate among parents, legislators and video games producers to highlight the potential dangers of high rates of exposure to virtual violence, and encourages the Scottish Government to define the public policy options that are likely to be most effective in addressing the negative effects of these games.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Marlyn Glen, Jackie Baillie, Ian McKee, Trish Godman, Rhoda Grant, Marilyn Livingstone, Michael McMahon, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5517.1 Joe FitzPatrick: Grand Theft Childhood—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5517) in the name of Elaine Smith, leave out from the first "notes" to end and insert "celebrates Scotland’s world-leading video game development sector; recognises that, although there is a correlation between playing violent games and aggressive behaviour, there is no evidence to suggest that one causes the other; further considers that most video games are suitable for children; notes that just 3% of games in 2007 were classified as an 18 certificate; agrees that there is a place for the development of adult video games for all adult players; urges the UK Government to enact the Pan-European Game Information classification system at the earliest opportunity, and warns parents to buy only games that are appropriate to their children’s age and that retailers should strictly enforce the classification system when selling video games to the public."

Supported by: Rob Gibson, Alasdair Allan, Ian McKee, Willie Coffey, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5516 Bill Kidd: St Mungo Festival—That the Parliament marks the launch this week of the first St Mungo festival, which honours the life of Glasgow’s patron saint; welcomes this opportunity to celebrate and share the medieval history of Scotland’s largest city with locals and visitors alike; notes the wide range of free events on offer during the festival’s run from 9 to 16 January 2009, including tours, exhibitions, religious ceremonies and the Ballet of St Thenew, and encourages as many people as possible to find out more about the origins of the city that St Mungo christened the dear green place by visiting the website www.stmungofestival.com.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn

S3M-5514 Sarah Boyack: First Female Officer to Lead Policing in Edinburgh—That the Parliament congratulates Chief Superintendent Gill Imery on her appointment as the new territorial commander for A Division in Lothian and Borders Police; notes that Chief Superintendent Gill Imery is the first female officer to lead policing in Scotland’s capital city and will be in charge of 1,300 staff in Edinburgh; hopes that this appointment will further inspire women to reach high-level positions in Scotland, and wishes Ms Imery well in her post.

Supported by: Mary Mulligan, Rhona Brankin, Patrick Harvie, Hugh O’Donnell, David McLetchie, Margaret Mitchell, Ken Macintosh, Johann Lamont, Pauline McNeill, Cathy Jamieson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Marlyn Glen, David Stewart, Robin Harper, Des McNulty, Jackie Baillie, Malcolm Chisholm, George Foulkes, John Park, Karen Gillon, Mike Pringle, Trish Godman, Stuart McMillan, Aileen Campbell, Hugh Henry, Linda Fabiani, Elaine Smith, Elaine Murray, Joe FitzPatrick, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5513# Hugh Henry: Local Newspapers—That the Parliament notes the contribution made by local papers in Renfrewshire and throughout Scotland; believes that local daily papers such as the Paisley Daily Express, weekly papers such as the Gazette and free papers such as the Extra all add to healthy local discussion; is concerned that the removal of local authority and Scottish Government advertising will weaken the financial viability of local newspapers; notes that many people, particularly older people and those on a low income, do not have access to the internet; believes that public agency advertising in local newspapers is important for a healthy democracy, and would welcome a review of the decision to end advertising public notices in local newspapers.

Supported by: Mr Frank McAveety, Elaine Murray, Cathy Jamieson, John Scott, Des McNulty, James Kelly, Cathy Peattie, Robin Harper, Ted Brocklebank, Jackie Baillie, Bill Butler, Patricia Ferguson, Duncan McNeil, Jackson Carlaw, Karen Whitefield, John Park, Margaret Mitchell, Mary Mulligan, Jamie McGrigor, Trish Godman, Ms Wendy Alexander, David Whitton, Bill Aitken, Rhona Brankin, Sarah Boyack, Dr Richard Simpson, David Stewart, Rhoda Grant, Peter Peacock, Cathie Craigie, Marlyn Glen, Marilyn Livingstone

S3M-5506 Marilyn Livingstone: Severe Weather Conditions in Scotland—That the Parliament notes with concern the difficulties experienced by a number of local authorities during the recent severe weather conditions in Scotland; acknowledges that the extreme and prolonged adverse weather, thought to be the worst conditions for 20 years, has led to an increase in demand for all of Scotland’s salt suppliers, meaning that Fife Council and other local authorities have received less salt than expected; expresses concern that many local authorities were reported to have run out of supplies to treat residential routes and footways, endangering public safety, and urges the Scottish Government to have in place an effective support system for local authorities experiencing difficulties in responding to severe weather conditions for the safety of all.

Supported by: Mr Frank McAveety, Elaine Murray, Rhona Brankin, Des McNulty, Jackie Baillie, Elaine Smith, Jim Tolson, Mary Mulligan, David Whitton, Pauline McNeill, Rhoda Grant

S3M-5502 Sandra White: David Robertson Ross, a Giant of a Man—That the Parliament notes with great sadness the passing away of the historian, David Robertson Ross, at the age of 51, who became widely known as the Biker Historian as he toured around Scotland from the age of 17 in his quest for a better understanding of the places and events that helped shape our nation; further notes that, through his numerous works on William Wallace and Robert the Bruce among others, he is credited with bringing Scotland’s vibrant history to a new generation of ordinary people in Scotland and beyond; feels that David’s dream to see Wallace "brought home" for a symbolic funeral was realised in 2005 when, to mark the 700th anniversary of Wallace’s execution, David and supporters carried a coffin containing Wallace’s "spirit" from London to Scotland, and believes that, as he journeys to join his kindred spirits, the words by fellow Scottish patriot and author Linda MacDonald-Lewis - Mourn now, weep on my countrymen/For the man that stood/Steadfast to passioned principles/When few if any would./Call him giant, call him mad/Or Sir if you will/The Wallace and his Mighty Sword/Stirs the young hearts still - originally penned to mark the Walk for Wallace ring true for this giant of a man.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Kenneth Gibson, Alasdair Allan, Ian McKee, Michael Matheson, Brian Adam, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Bill Wilson, Stuart McMillan, Rob Gibson, Jamie Hepburn, Maureen Watt, Anne McLaughlin, Christina McKelvie, Bill Kidd, Gil Paterson, Linda Fabiani, Christine Grahame

S3M-5501 Jackson Carlaw: Holocaust Memorial Day 2010/Gaza Now Exhibition—That the Parliament reflects with sadness on the Holocaust Memorial Trust’s (HMT) statement that "the evils of prejudice, discrimination and intolerance continue to exist in Britain today. We categorise, stereotype, discriminate, exclude, bully, persecute, attack - because of race, religion, disability and sexuality. We damage, and are damaged, as a result of our refusal to accept our common humanity"; welcomes the HMT’s work in organising Holocaust Memorial Day 2010 on 27 January 2010 as part of ongoing efforts to learn the lessons of the Holocaust and subsequent atrocities such as those perpetrated in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur; further notes the HMT’s observation that "Genocide does not just happen. It starts when we no longer celebrate and respect the differences between us"; unreservedly condemns the message displayed in the comments book at the Gaza Now exhibition in the Scottish Parliament during the week commencing 4 January 2010 calling on the international community to "wipe Israel off the face of the map", and calls on as many Scots as possible to participate in Holocaust Memorial Day 2010 events (http://www.hmd.org.uk/events), to learn the lessons of previous genocides and to strive to live by these lessons all year round.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Stuart McMillan, Bob Doris, Murdo Fraser, Kenneth Gibson, Robin Harper, Elizabeth Smith, Patrick Harvie, John Lamont, Jamie McGrigor, Ted Brocklebank, Bill Aitken, George Foulkes, Nanette Milne, Ken Macintosh, Stewart Maxwell, Mary Scanlon, Margaret Mitchell, Liam McArthur, Linda Fabiani, Annabel Goldie, Dr Richard Simpson, Ross Finnie

S3M-5500 Joe FitzPatrick: Victoria and Albert in Dundee—That the Parliament welcomes the next step in the development of the Victoria and Albert in Dundee, which will see architects from across the world compete in a competition to design the new museum to be sited on the water at the iconic Discovery Quay site; notes that the project, which is expected to begin construction in 2012 and be completed in 2014, will create 900 jobs and bring an estimated 130,000 visitors to Dundee every year; further notes that the museum will provide access to high quality exhibitions for residents in Dundee and across Scotland, and welcomes the support given to the project by the University of Dundee, the University of Abertay Dundee, Dundee City Council, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government.

Supported by: Aileen Campbell, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Nanette Milne, Jamie Hepburn, David Whitton, Robin Harper, Marlyn Glen, Ian McKee, Gil Paterson, Brian Adam, Kenneth Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd, Maureen Watt, Jack McConnell, Alison McInnes

S3M-5499 Stewart Maxwell: The Death of Miep Gies—That the Parliament acknowledges the death of Miep Gies, aged 100, the last surviving member of the group that helped Anne Frank and her family hide from the Nazis for more than two years; admires her courage and compassion, which provided a shining example of humanitarianism in one of mankind’s bleakest times; further acknowledges that the incredible tale of Anne Frank could not have been told were it not for the brave defiance of Nazi occupation laws, and applauds her continued work in causes of tolerance long after Anne Frank’s death.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Andrew Welsh, Rob Gibson, Patricia Ferguson, Sandra White, Christopher Harvie, Liam McArthur, Des McNulty, Jackson Carlaw, Shirley-Anne Somerville, David Whitton, Dr Richard Simpson, Bob Doris, Kenneth Gibson, Hugh O’Donnell, Robin Harper, Bill Butler, Bill Wilson, Anne McLaughlin, Mike Pringle, Trish Godman, Bill Kidd, Jamie Hepburn, Maureen Watt, Pauline McNeill, Elaine Smith, Christina McKelvie, Marlyn Glen, Gil Paterson, Linda Fabiani, Hugh Henry, Jack McConnell, Sarah Boyack, Joe FitzPatrick, Peter Peacock, Jim Hume, John Park, Stuart McMillan, Elaine Murray, John Wilson, Aileen Campbell, Ken Macintosh, Dave Thompson, Marilyn Livingstone

S3M-5498 Margaret Mitchell: Red Cross Supporting Scotland through the Snow—That the Parliament commends the vital emergency relief and support that Red Cross teams are providing to snowbound communities across Scotland and notes that specially adapted Red Cross four-wheel-drive vehicles have been transporting people in Falkirk and Grangemouth to and from hospital and that, across Scotland, dedicated volunteers and staff continue to provide essential health and care services and to support Scotland’s statutory authorities, while in Bellshill, Cumbernauld and Glasgow Red Cross wheelchairs have been allocated to people who have injured themselves as a result of the weather, thus reducing pressures on NHS stocks.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Hugh O’Donnell, Nanette Milne, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Elizabeth Smith, John Lamont, Jamie McGrigor, John Scott, Sandra White, Gil Paterson, Robin Harper, Patrick Harvie, Bill Aitken, Bill Wilson, Jackie Baillie, Cathie Craigie, Jackson Carlaw, Mike Pringle, Mary Scanlon, Murdo Fraser, Liam McArthur, Kenneth Gibson, Linda Fabiani, Bill Kidd, Maureen Watt, Ted Brocklebank, Alison McInnes, Christine Grahame, Rhoda Grant, Ken Macintosh, Pauline McNeill, Joe FitzPatrick, Des McNulty, Elaine Smith, Stuart McMillan, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5497 Cathy Jamieson: Thanks to Salt Miners during Big Freeze—That the Parliament recognises the efforts of the salt miners at Cleveland Potash in North Yorkshire, members of Unite the Union, who are battling to get to work in icy conditions above ground while working in Saharan temperatures below ground to produce salt to help keep roads clear during the big freeze; notes that Cleveland Potash is Britain’s biggest mine and the deepest in the western hemisphere, with miners working nine-and-a-half-hour shifts over one mile underground, keeping operations going for 24 hours per day to produce an average of 10,000 tonnes of salt per day; further notes that many of the miners sacrificed much of their Christmas break, when the mine is usually closed, to step up salt supplies, and thanks them for their efforts in working flat out on our behalf.

Supported by: Linda Fabiani, Jamie Hepburn, Marlyn Glen, Michael Matheson, Sarah Boyack, Rhoda Grant

S3M-5496 Brian Adam: Review of Consumer Protection for Holidays—That the Parliament notes with regret the collapse of Flyglobespan, which left thousands of passengers out of pocket due to their flights and holidays not being covered by the ATOL scheme or eligible for a refund under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974; welcomes the call by the President of the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association, Brian Potter, for a review of the consumer financial protection system in the United Kingdom, and believes that a new protection scheme is needed that takes into account the move toward online and direct booking of flights and holidays to protect all air passengers and holidaymakers from the potential failure of their travel agent or operator.

Supported by: Linda Fabiani, Jamie Hepburn, Robin Harper, Sandra White, Stuart McMillan, Ian McKee, Stewart Maxwell, Bill Kidd, Christina McKelvie, Joe FitzPatrick, Alasdair Allan, Kenneth Gibson, Rob Gibson, Bill Wilson, Anne McLaughlin, Aileen Campbell, Hugh Henry, Maureen Watt, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Dave Thompson, Christopher Harvie, Michael Matheson, George Foulkes, Gil Paterson

S3M-5495 Jim Tolson: Third Annual Fife Jazz Festival—That the Parliament welcomes the third annual Fife Jazz Festival, from 4 to 7 February 2010, celebrating both jazz and Fife with music from internationally acclaimed musicians as well as Fife jazz musicians at venues across the Kingdom, including Dunfermline, St Andrews, Cowdenbeath, Buckhaven, Glenrothes and Freuchie; further welcomes the Fife Jazz Education programme in schools and Fife Jazz Weekend School, encouraging young people to play jazz; notes that the festival will host the Arctic Youth Jazz Orchestra, which will perform with the Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra, and acknowledges the positive effect that this festival will have on the cultural wellbeing of people across Fife and visitors to the area.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Elizabeth Smith, Robin Harper, Hugh O’Donnell, Jim Hume, Marilyn Livingstone, Dr Richard Simpson, Gil Paterson

S3M-5494 Sandra White: £34 Million Boost to Scottish Economy—That the Parliament welcomes the announcement by the First Minister, at the National Jobs Summit in Glasgow, of over £34 million of new investment to support and prepare people for employment from the European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund; notes that this investment will support the creation of 193 jobs and help 28,000 people gain or sustain employment opportunities through skills development, and believes that in these tough economic times the country must work together to ensure the strongest possible economic recovery for the whole of Scotland.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Alasdair Allan, Bob Doris, Kenneth Gibson, Anne McLaughlin, Aileen Campbell, Linda Fabiani, Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Gil Paterson, Michael Matheson, Stuart McMillan, Joe FitzPatrick

S3M-5493 Jim Tolson: We’re For Fife—That the Parliament welcomes the new We’re For Fife promotion launched on 7 January 2010 to promote the reasons why Fife is a great place to live, work and visit; welcomes the We’re For Fife song and television advertising, and wishes all the public and private sector partners involved in the launch every success with the initiative.

Supported by: Iain Smith, Bill Kidd, Jim Hume, Hugh O’Donnell, Gil Paterson, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5492 Pauline McNeill: Congratulations to Notre Dame—That the Parliament recognises the excellent report given to Scotland’s only all-girl state school; commends Notre Dame High School in Hillhead, Glasgow, for achieving one excellent and four very good grades; also recognises head teacher Philomena McFadden’s work leading the school, and notes HM Inspectorate of Education’s belief that the school managed to form a central part of the community.

Supported by: Des McNulty, Sandra White, Bob Doris, Jackie Baillie, James Kelly, Trish Godman, Karen Whitefield, Mary Mulligan, Bill Kidd, Ken Macintosh, Hugh Henry, Sarah Boyack, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5491 Sarah Boyack: Scotland Needs Boiler Scrappage Scheme—That the Parliament notes the launch of the Boiler Scrappage Scheme by the UK Government, a scheme that will offer a £400 incentive to encourage households to update inefficient boilers; further notes that the scheme will benefit up to 125,000 households in England, helping to reduce CO₂ emissions while at the same time reducing fuel bills, and help to secure 250,000 jobs at small and medium companies that make, sell and install boilers; urges the Scottish Government to implement a similar scheme across Scotland, given the reported estimates of £11 million in Barnett consequentials being available, and considers that this decision would be of significant benefit to 12,000 homes in Scotland that would be eligible for such a scheme and would create jobs in the Scottish plumbing industry.

Supported by: George Foulkes, Claire Baker, Karen Gillon, Duncan McNeil, John Park, Johann Lamont, Elaine Murray, Ken Macintosh, Mike Pringle, Patricia Ferguson, David Whitton, Elaine Smith, Cathy Peattie, Mary Mulligan, Rhona Brankin, Cathy Jamieson, Ms Wendy Alexander, James Kelly, Margaret Curran, Pauline McNeill, Dr Richard Simpson, Jackie Baillie, Lewis Macdonald, Marlyn Glen, Trish Godman, Richard Baker, Karen Whitefield, Rhoda Grant, Malcolm Chisholm, Peter Peacock

S3M-5489 Ken Macintosh: Why Must Our Children Pay?—That the Parliament supports the Educational Institute of Scotland in its campaign, why must our children pay?, to promote Scottish education and to protect the funding of schools and colleges; considers that Scotland’s pupils and students should not be forced to pay for the mistakes of others by having their education damaged due to budget reductions; deplores the loss of almost 2,500 teachers over the last two years and the similar decline in numbers of support staff; expresses alarm at the cuts made in education budgets and classroom resources across the country at a time of vital curricular reform; agrees that in times of economic difficulty it is even more important that young people are encouraged to stay longer in education and training; recognises that it is the countries that invest in education and training that reap the rewards in terms of jobs and economic prosperity, and calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that our education system is properly supported and adequately resourced, allowing all our young people to reach their potential.

Supported by: Elaine Murray, Marlyn Glen, Jack McConnell, Sarah Boyack, Karen Whitefield, Rhoda Grant, John Park, Elaine Smith, Des McNulty, Michael McMahon, Cathie Craigie, Malcolm Chisholm, Bill Butler, Rhona Brankin, Claire Baker, Mike Pringle, Hugh Henry, Dr Richard Simpson, Robin Harper, Mary Mulligan, Mr Frank McAveety, David Whitton, Jackie Baillie, James Kelly, Trish Godman, Cathy Peattie, Marilyn Livingstone

S3M-5488 Michael Matheson: Congratulations to Nethermains Primary School—That the Parliament congratulates Nethermains Primary School in Denny on producing a CD; notes that the pupils have written a song about healthy living; recognises that the healthy living message will spread even wider through such initiatives, and considers that the CD is a valuable contribution to making 2010 a more healthy and active year.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Sandra White, Gil Paterson, Bob Doris, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Pauline McNeill, Hugh Henry, Christina McKelvie

S3M-5487# Peter Peacock: Hill Tracks in the Scottish Uplands—That the Parliament notes with concern the number of engineered hill tracks appearing in the Scottish uplands, particularly in the Highlands; notes that such tracks can be constructed without planning consent when justified as being for agricultural, forestry or repair purposes; further notes the growing number of concerns from hill walkers, ramblers and mountaineers and members of the wider public about the intrusion of these tracks into the natural landscape and the impact on otherwise wild land; considers that, given the importance of the Scottish uplands for current and future generations, this warrants greater scrutiny of proposals for such tracks within the planning system; recognises the legitimate rights of farmers and crofters to continue to construct tracks for their purposes on what will generally be lower-lying land than considered to be a problem in this context; notes that Heriot-Watt University reported on these issues in March 2007, and would welcome the urgent mapping of tracks by reviewing current knowledge of track location and control provisions and consideration of future possibilities for greater control of developing hill tracks and the criteria under which any greater controls might operate.

Supported by: Sarah Boyack, Des McNulty, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart, Karen Gillon, David Whitton, Dr Richard Simpson, Robin Harper, Trish Godman, Ian McKee, Mary Mulligan, Elaine Murray, Rhona Brankin, Mr Frank McAveety, Gil Paterson, Hugh Henry, Bill Wilson, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5486 Cathy Peattie: Congratulations to Graeme Cook—That the Parliament congratulates SPICe researcher Graeme Cook on his award of the President’s Medal and anhonorary fellowshipof the Royal Scottish Geographical Societyin recognition of his services to geography in Scotland and, in particular, his work on the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill.

Supported by: Jamie McGrigor, Patricia Ferguson, Dr Richard Simpson, Elaine Smith, Anne McLaughlin, Kenneth Gibson, Rob Gibson, Margaret Mitchell, David Whitton, Elizabeth Smith, Nanette Milne, James Kelly, Malcolm Chisholm, Jackie Baillie, Liam McArthur, Murdo Fraser, Patrick Harvie, Sandra White, Aileen Campbell, Trish Godman, Robin Harper, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Mary Mulligan, Sarah Boyack, Elaine Murray, Bill Kidd, Linda Fabiani, Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Marlyn Glen, Hugh Henry, Ross Finnie, Alison McInnes, Stuart McMillan, Maureen Watt*

S3M-5485 Anne McLaughlin: Pakistan International Airlines—That the Parliament celebrates the news that Pakistan International Airlines will maintain the regular route between Lahore, Pakistan, and Glasgow; recognises that this route is a crucial support to the many economic, cultural and familial links between Scotland and Pakistan, and further recognises that local authorities, the Pakistani community in Scotland and the Government of Pakistan will work together to raise the profile of Pakistan International Airlines in order to ensure the continued sustainability of the route.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Alasdair Allan, Bob Doris, Hugh O’Donnell, Aileen Campbell, Rob Gibson, Sandra White, Linda Fabiani, Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Gil Paterson, Hugh Henry, Joe FitzPatrick, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5484 Joe FitzPatrick: Malawi Anti-homosexual Arrest—That the Parliament condemns the arrest and treatment by the Malawian authorities of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, two men who were arrested on 28 December 2009 and charged with unnatural practices between males and gross public indecency; condemns the attempts of the Malawian authorities to subject the men to forced anal examinations; considers the arrest to be discriminatory, homophobic and illegal and to violate equality and non-discrimination clause 20 of the Malawian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and international human rights documents, and calls on the Scottish Government to urge the Malawian authorities to release the two men immediately and unconditionally, to ensure their safety on release, to end the criminalisation of homosexuality in Malawi, to halt the reported police harassment of and the legal proceedings against HIV educators and human rights defenders from the Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP), three workers of which have been arrested following their public defence of the men and apparently as a result of their HIV education work with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and to continue to support the rights of LGBT people at both domestic and international level.

Supported by: Karen Gillon, Stewart Maxwell, Aileen Campbell, Sarah Boyack, Liam McArthur, Linda Fabiani, Jamie Hepburn, Rob Gibson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Bill Wilson, Patrick Harvie, Christopher Harvie, Sandra White, Alasdair Allan, Marlyn Glen, Gil Paterson, Robin Harper, Elaine Smith, Anne McLaughlin, Rhona Brankin, Jackie Baillie, Jim Hume, Patricia Ferguson, Mike Pringle, George Foulkes, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Hugh O’Donnell, Trish Godman, Iain Smith, Maureen Watt, Dave Thompson, Margo MacDonald, John Park, Ken Macintosh

S3M-5483 Bill Kidd: Construction of National Indoor Sports Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and Sports Arena—That the Parliament welcomes the commencement of the construction of the National Indoor Sports Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow; notes that these facilities, when complete in 2012, will serve as a national training centre for athletics, basketball, netball, track cycling and volleyball; offers its congratulations to the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and all other partners involved in the organisation of the 2014 Commonwealth Games for getting underway with construction work; believes that these world-class facilities will put Glasgow on the map as a centre for sporting excellence while building a lasting legacy for the city, and looks forward to the most successful Commonwealth games ever.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Jackie Baillie, Stuart McMillan, Aileen Campbell, Stewart Maxwell, Linda Fabiani, Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Gil Paterson, Sandra White, Hugh Henry, Jack McConnell, Michael Matheson, Maureen Watt, Joe FitzPatrick

S3M-5483.1 Robin Harper: Construction of National Indoor Sports Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and Sports Arena—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5483) in the name of Bill Kidd, insert at end "and considers that the velodrome in Edinburgh should remain open until a covered alternative is provided in the grassroots home of Scottish track cycling".

Supported by: Cathy Peattie

S3M-5482 Bill Butler: Pleural Plaques Justice—That the Parliament welcomes Lord Emslie’s judgment on the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Act 2009 that has dismissed an attempt by insurance companies to set aside an Act of the Scottish Parliament; salutes the campaigning efforts of victims’ groups across Scotland that continue to fight tirelessly on behalf of people with pleural plaques and their families, and believes that those who brought this action should accept that the Act is the settled will of the Scottish Parliament.

Supported by: Richard Baker, Pauline McNeill, Marlyn Glen, Johann Lamont, Bill Kidd, Mr Frank McAveety, Rob Gibson, James Kelly, Patrick Harvie, Patricia Ferguson, Ms Wendy Alexander, John Park, Mary Mulligan, Duncan McNeil, Jackie Baillie, Margaret Curran, Robin Harper, Robert Brown, Elaine Smith, Dr Richard Simpson, Kenneth Gibson, Ken Macintosh, Rhona Brankin, Cathy Peattie, Cathy Jamieson, Trish Godman, Des McNulty, Sarah Boyack, Linda Fabiani, Jamie Hepburn, Bill Wilson, Gil Paterson, Hugh Henry, David Whitton, Stuart McMillan, Elaine Murray, Rhoda Grant

S3M-5481 Stewart Maxwell: 49 out of 50 US States Agree to Fire-safe Cigarettes—That the Parliament congratulates the US states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee on the implementation on 1 January 2010 of legislation for fire-safe cigarettes, which have a reduced tendency to burn when left unattended, in a bid to drastically reduce the number of fire deaths and injuries; further notes that this now leaves only one state, Wyoming, still to pass such legislation; believes that the European Commission is shamefully lagging behind in the development of an agreed European standard, and calls on the UK Government to assist in speeding up the process.

Supported by: Stuart McMillan, Mike Pringle, Brian Adam, Bill Kidd, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Joe FitzPatrick, Bill Wilson, Rob Gibson, Kenneth Gibson, Maureen Watt, Trish Godman, Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Gil Paterson, Dave Thompson, Anne McLaughlin, Sandra White, Elaine Smith, Linda Fabiani, Ian McKee, Aileen Campbell, Ken Macintosh

S3M-5480 Robin Harper: UN International Year of Biodiversity—That the Parliament welcomes the beginning of the UN International Year of Biodiversity; recognises the good work already done, in hand, or planned by local authorities, especially Glasgow City Council and the City of Edinburgh Council, in preparing and putting into action their biodiversity action plans, by schools engaging in the hugely successful Eco-Schools programme and by colleges and universities that are co-operating in their own biodiversity plans; praises the contributions being made by allotment holders, the Commonwealth Orchard initiative, many farmers, the Soil Association, Plantlife, Buglife, the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage, the RSPB, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scottish Environment LINK, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and countless other environmental organisations as well as the National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland; calls on the Scottish Government and the business community to play a full part in supporting a co-ordinated effort to make this UN International Year of Biodiversity a significant advance, and believes that climate change is the biggest present threat to biodiversity and that the two problems can only be addressed together. R

Supported by: Ms Wendy Alexander, Sarah Boyack, Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell

S3M-5479 Marlyn Glen: Parliamentarians’ Endorsement in Support of a Nuclear Weapons Convention—That the Parliament recognises the efforts of the UK Mayors for Peace Working Group and UK and Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities to support the signing of a nuclear weapons convention; asks Scottish parliamentarians to sign the Parliamentary Endorsement of the Nuclear Weapons Convention issued by these groups; believes that a nuclear weapons convention would incorporate, reinforce, link and build on existing non-proliferation and disarmament instruments, including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency; encourages UN members to make a stronger commitment to develop a nuclear weapons convention by 2015 and to take steps to see the eventual abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020; notes that the Governments of Malaysia and Costa Rica have tabled a model nuclear weapons convention for this year’s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, and further notes that a large number of mayors and councillors from around the United Kingdom and all over the world have signed the similar Cities Appeal in Support of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol.

Supported by: Bill Butler, Elaine Smith, Jamie Hepburn, Bill Kidd, Patrick Harvie, Hugh O’Donnell, Robin Harper, Malcolm Chisholm, Trish Godman, Christina McKelvie, Dave Thompson, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5479.1 Alasdair Allan: Parliamentarians’ Endorsement in Support of a Nuclear Weapons Convention—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5479) in the name of Marlyn Glen, insert at end ", and further believes that these aims would best be served in Scotland and the United Kingdom by the Trident nuclear weapons system not being replaced."

Supported by: Aileen Campbell, Christopher Harvie, Kenneth Gibson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Stuart McMillan, Jamie Hepburn, Bob Doris, Joe FitzPatrick, Robin Harper, Stewart Maxwell, Rob Gibson, Bill Wilson, Linda Fabiani, Patrick Harvie, Bill Kidd, Gil Paterson, Dave Thompson

S3M-5478# Mary Scanlon: Highlands Dairy Industry—That the Parliament notes with serious concern the state of the Highlands dairy industry where the number of producers has fallen from 43 in 1998 to 11 today; further notes the management buyout that will result in 60 job losses at ClaymoreDairies in Nairn but provide a future for the remaining dairy farmersin that there will be a local market for their produce; welcomes the fact that this may encourage the remaining producers to continue milk production rather than consider leaving the industry, which will ensure that milk is still produced and processed in the Highlands, andwould welcome support for Claymore Dairies fromlocal businesses and major retailers tohelpsecure the remaining 72 jobs at the plant and a market for dairy farmers in Moray and the Highlands.

Supported by: Bill Aitken, Liam McArthur, Kenneth Gibson, Robin Harper, Jim Hume, Jackson Carlaw, John Scott, Murdo Fraser, Nanette Milne, Elizabeth Smith, Jamie McGrigor, John Lamont, Margaret Mitchell, Karen Gillon, Dave Thompson, Rhoda Grant, Annabel Goldie

S3M-5477 George Foulkes: Inadequate Response to a National Emergency—That the Parliament notes that Scotland has experienced its longest period of cold weather for decades; congratulates all of the public service workers and volunteers for the work that they have done to help alleviate all kinds of problems; recognises that the Scottish Executive has an important role to co-ordinate and organise the overall response and regrets the delay in getting such effort mobilised over the Christmas period; further believes that the ability of councils to respond fully and effectively has been hampered by the cuts in expenditure imposed by the Scottish Executive through the concordat with local authorities, and believes that the approach of the Scottish Executive, exemplified by the ministerial statement on 7 January 2010 and answers to parliamentary questions, is both arrogant and complacent.

Supported by: Elaine Murray, Jackie Baillie, Rhona Brankin, Mr Frank McAveety, Cathy Jamieson, Elaine Smith, Margaret Curran, Mary Mulligan, Sarah Boyack, Rhoda Grant

S3M-5477.1 Kenneth Gibson: Inadequate Response to a National Emergency—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5477) in the name of George Foulkes, leave out from "recognises" to end and insert "commends the Scottish Government for its speedy response over the Christmas/New Year holiday period and strong commitment to dealing with the severe weather and for co-ordinating the efforts of agencies and local government partners, and considers that the impact of the cold weather would have been much more severe had the Scottish Government not rejected Labour Party proposals to cut £10 million from the winter road maintenance budget in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11."

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Rob Gibson, Joe FitzPatrick, Stewart Maxwell, Stuart McMillan, Sandra White, Aileen Campbell, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Linda Fabiani, Willie Coffey, Michael Matheson

S3M-5476 Bill Butler: Terry’s Top of the Table.—That the Parliament congratulates Terry McLernon of Drumchapel Table Tennis Club (DTTC) on being awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list; acknowledges his unstinting efforts on behalf of both DTTC and the sport in Scotland over the last 20 years; recognises the remarkable impact that he has made on the community of Drumchapel and the manner in which he has turned DTTC into one of Scotland’s most successful sporting clubs, and wishes all involved with DTTC continued success in the years ahead.

Supported by: Johann Lamont, John Park, Hugh Henry, Jackie Baillie, Charlie Gordon, Ken Macintosh, Cathy Peattie, Des McNulty, Brian Adam, Sarah Boyack, James Kelly, Helen Eadie, Mary Mulligan, David Whitton, Andy Kerr, Rhona Brankin, Jamie McGrigor, Patricia Ferguson, Irene Oldfather, Mr Frank McAveety, Cathy Jamieson, Bill Kidd, Paul Martin, Trish Godman, Jack McConnell

S3M-5475 Stuart McMillan: Privatisation of British Waterways—That the Parliament notes reports that British Waterways is to be privatised by the UK Government; further notes that British Waterways is a cross-border organisation that through large-scale investment over the last decade has provided improved and increasing opportunities to access the canal infrastructure in Scotland, in particular at Kirkintilloch with the new Southbank Marina, and elsewhere in the United Kingdom, and calls on the UK Government not to sell British Waterways as well as ensuring that a different long-term solution is established for Scotland.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Rob Gibson, Aileen Campbell, Robin Harper, Bob Doris, Christopher Harvie, Christina McKelvie, Gil Paterson, Dave Thompson, Bill Kidd

S3M-5475.1 David Whitton: Privatisation of British Waterways—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5475) in the name of Stuart McMillan, leave out from first "British Waterways" to end and insert "the British Waterways board is in discussion with HM Treasury and the shareholder executive about creating a new business model for the business that could involve structures such as mutual or third sector but is not privatisation, which is opposed by the board; further notes that, whatever the final outcome, the continued maintenance and protection of the waterways and access to facilities such as the Southbank marina in Kirkintilloch will continue to be an important objective; also notes that the UK Government has stated that it will consult the Scottish Government should the preferred model chosen require changes to the governance of British Waterways’ activities in Scotland, and considers that attempts to suggest that British Waterways is being privatised are mistaken."

Supported by: David Stewart, Charlie Gordon, Rhona Brankin, Ken Macintosh, Paul Martin, James Kelly, Elaine Murray, Jackie Baillie, Hugh Henry, Lewis Macdonald, Dr Richard Simpson, Sarah Boyack, Trish Godman, Rhoda Grant, Marilyn Livingstone, Cathie Craigie

S3M-5474 Margaret Curran: Youth Football in Glasgow Recognised in New Year’s Honours List—That the Parliament congratulates Jim Smith from Carntyne in Glasgow for being awarded an MBE in the 2010 New Year’s Honours List; notes that the MBE is in recognition of Jim Smith’s 30 years’ voluntary service to youth football in Glasgow; further notes that Jim Smith has been the regional secretary of the Scottish Youth Football Association for the last five years, as well as the City Cup tournament director for Glasgow; acknowledges that Jim Smith was recently commended by the Sports Council for Glasgow as part of its anniversary celebrations for his volunteer work in youth football, and wishes him great success in the organisation of the largest youth tournament in Scotland, which is to be held at Glasgow Green later this year.

Supported by: Trish Godman, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Johann Lamont, Jamie McGrigor, Des McNulty, Mr Frank McAveety, James Kelly, Aileen Campbell, Ken Macintosh, George Foulkes, Pauline McNeill, Hugh Henry, Jackie Baillie, Mary Mulligan, Bob Doris, Bill Aitken, David Whitton, Rhona Brankin, Karen Gillon, John Park, Sarah Boyack, Jack McConnell

S3M-5473 Joe FitzPatrick: Legal Action against Members of the Public Clearing Pavements—That the Parliament welcomes the calls by Dundee City Council for residents to help during the cold weather by gritting pavements; condemns the scaremongering from some quarters regarding the possibility of people clearing paths facing legal action; notes the comments of Ronald Conway, a senior partner with Bonnar & Co, personal injury solicitors, that he had never known of a case of someone being taken to court in Scotland accused of causing injury by failing to properly clear a frozen public path; further notes the comments of Gordon McBean, a partner at Thorntons in Dundee who specialises in personal injury law, who said that he believed that a court would be reluctant to convict anyone seen to be acting in the interests of public safety, and calls on residents in Dundee and across Scotland to help keep paths clear and to look out for neighbours, particularly older people, during the current spell of bad weather.

Supported by: Nigel Don, Bob Doris, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Mike Pringle, Brian Adam, Bill Kidd, Margo MacDonald, Rob Gibson, Robin Harper, Kenneth Gibson, Maureen Watt, Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Gil Paterson, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5472# Margaret Mitchell: Awards for Heroes—That the Parliament welcomes the success of the second Sun Military Awards event held on 15 December 2009 at the Imperial War Museum in London at which various awards, known as The Millies, recognised the bravery and professionalism of armed forces personnel; further welcomes the ecumenical service of commemoration that took place in Motherwell Cathedral on 29 October 2009 at which the people of Lanarkshire and beyond were able to show their respect and gratitude to all the servicemen and women killed and wounded as well as those still serving in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and pays tribute to all the brave men and women from Lanarkshire and across Scotland presently engaged in active service overseas.

Supported by: John Lamont, Jamie McGrigor, Bill Aitken, Nanette Milne, Murdo Fraser, Mr Frank McAveety, Kenneth Gibson, Jackson Carlaw, Ken Macintosh, Robin Harper, Ted Brocklebank, Linda Fabiani, Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Jack McConnell, Rhoda Grant, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5471 Hugh O’Donnell: Successful Scots in Dictionary—That the Parliament notes with pleasure the inclusion of four notable Scots in the 2010 edition of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; recognises the valuable contribution made to Scottish sporting, cultural, environmental and gastronomic life by Jimmy "Jinky" Johnstone of Celtic and Scotland, the author, Muriel Spark, writer and broadcaster Tom Weir and haggis manufacturer John Macsween respectively, and believes that their inclusion in the dictionary is recognition of their international contribution in their respective fields of success.

Supported by: Linda Fabiani, Jamie Hepburn, Rhoda Grant

S3M-5470 Christine Grahame: Well Done to the Workforce at NHS Borders and Scottish Borders Council—That the Parliament congratulates both NHS Borders and Scottish Borders Council for the efforts made by all of their respective workforces to maintain services so far as possible in these exceptional weather conditions and welcomes the announcement by the Scottish Government that offenders on community service orders will be deployed to clear paths in the coming days.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn

S3M-5469# Dr Richard Simpson: Celebrating Scotland’s First Ever General Practice Week in Scotland—That the Parliament notes that more than 21 million patient consultations take place in general practice in Scotland every year; is proud of the high quality service provided by GPs and their practice teams every day, and welcomes the first ever General Practice Week in Scotland, from 8 to 14 February 2010, hosted by the British Medical Association Scotland in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland, which aims to celebrate the very best of NHS general practice in Scotland.

Supported by: Liam McArthur, Bill Wilson, Karen Whitefield, Aileen Campbell, Linda Fabiani, Jamie Hepburn, Sarah Boyack, Hugh O’Donnell, Mr Frank McAveety, Elaine Murray, Mary Scanlon, Rhona Brankin, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Ian McKee, James Kelly, Marlyn Glen, Robin Harper, Gil Paterson, Patrick Harvie, Elaine Smith, Mike Pringle, John Park, Bob Doris, Mary Mulligan, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Trish Godman, Stuart McMillan, Pauline McNeill, Hugh Henry, George Foulkes, Marilyn Livingstone, Rhoda Grant, Alison McInnes, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5466 Adam Ingram: The Draft Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (Modification of Enactments) Order 2010—That the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee recommends that the draft Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (Modification of Enactments) Order 2010 be approved.

Supported by: Michael Russell, Jackie Baillie, Patricia Ferguson

S3M-5463 Sandra White: Scottish Development International Trade Mission to Israel—That the Parliament notes with concern the proposed trade mission on 10 to 15 January 2010 organised by Scottish Development International (SDI) to Israel, a state that is currently in contravention of numerous United Nations General Assembly and Security Council resolutions and stands accused of serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the Gaza conflict, amounting to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity; notes that this trade mission was postponed in January 2009 after advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the wake of Israel’s December 2008 offensive, and, while welcoming the Scottish Government’s clear position on the situation in Gaza and the substantial package of humanitarian aid announced last year by the Deputy First Minister, urges SDI to reconsider its current stance while Israel continues to flout international law and stands accused of possible crimes against humanity.

Supported by: Patrick Harvie, Hugh O’Donnell, Bill Kidd, Christine Grahame, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Robin Harper, Bill Wilson, Aileen Campbell, Mike Pringle, Elaine Smith, Hugh Henry, Angela Constance, Anne McLaughlin, Pauline McNeill, Linda Fabiani, Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Jim Tolson

S3M-5463.1 Pauline McNeill: Scottish Development International Trade Mission to Israel—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5463) in the name of Sandra White, insert at end "and calls on the Scottish Government to actively discourage this and any future trips until Israel complies with international law".

Supported by: Mr Frank McAveety, Jim Hume, Hugh O’Donnell, Marlyn Glen, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Patrick Harvie, Robin Harper, Michael McMahon, Jim Tolson, Elaine Smith, Jackie Baillie, Hugh Henry, Sarah Boyack, Dr Richard Simpson

S3M-5462 Jim Tolson: Crossford Primary School and Nursery Class, Dunfermline—That the Parliament welcomes the publication of the very good HM Inspectorate of Education report for Crossford Primary School and Nursery Class in Dunfermline; acknowledges the pupils’ high levels of attainment in English language and mathematics; notes the clear sense of direction and encouragement given by the head teacher and principal teachers to all staff; further notes the effective partnerships between the staff and a range of agencies to help the children’s learning, and further acknowledges the support given to the school by parents.

Supported by: John Park, Bill Kidd, Hugh O’Donnell, Jim Hume, Gil Paterson

S3M-5460 Kenneth Gibson: Book it, Just Don’t Thomas Cook it!—That the Parliament notes the recently published report in Which? Holiday that pointed out that Thomas Cook had one of the lowest customer approval ratings of any holiday company, with complaints including poor-quality hotel rooms and unhelpful staff as well as accusations that the tour operator’s brochures exaggerated standards on offer; believes that, if the views of the 139 passengers who had the misfortune to be booked on flight TCX841L on 26 December 2009 had been included, the report would have been even more critical of Thomas Cook; understands that this flight from Las Palmas to Glasgow was cancelled without notice, that passengers were given no information for hours on end, that the flight eventually left more than 13 hours late and that passengers were told that booking conditions meant that Thomas Cook was obliged to take them only to the United Kingdom not to Glasgow and that if they did not board the flight provided to take them to East Midlands Airport they could find their own way home; recognises that the exhausted passengers included people who were ill, very young, very elderly and heavily pregnant who were apparently told untruths throughout their journey and arrived in Glasgow 20 hours late after having been bussed from East Midlands Airport to Glasgow Airport, and considers that treating customers in such a cavalier take-it-or-leave-it fashion without so much as an apology will do as much to damage the reputation of Thomas Cook as any report and that Thomas Cook needs to spend less on advertising and more on looking after its customers if it is to retain its reputation as a trustworthy company.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Maureen Watt, Hugh Henry, Rob Gibson, Angela Constance

S3M-5459# Murdo Fraser: Perth 800—That the Parliament notes that 2010 marks the 800th anniversary of the granting of the Royal Burgh Charter to Perth; welcomes the launch of Perth 800, Perth and Kinross Council’s year-long programme of events and activities to celebrate this monumental anniversary; believes that the celebrations will allow Perth to showcase to the rest of the United Kingdom that Perth is one of the best places to live, visit and do business; further welcomes Perth 800 being used to progress Perth’s bid to gain official city status; considers that official city status will reflect Perth as being one of Scotland’s leading places for business, education, art, culture and sport, and supports Perth’s bid to become a city during HM the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Supported by: Hugh Henry, Aileen Campbell, Elizabeth Smith, Nanette Milne, John Lamont, Jackson Carlaw, Ted Brocklebank, Bill Aitken, Robin Harper, Jamie McGrigor, Dr Richard Simpson, Maureen Watt, Christopher Harvie, John Scott, Mary Scanlon, Margaret Mitchell, David McLetchie, Gil Paterson, Bill Kidd

S3M-5458 Elaine Smith: Lifting the Spirit of Those in Need—That the Parliament commends the work of Spirit Aid, founded by David Hayman and friends in 2001; notes that the humanitarian relief organisation is dedicated to alleviating the suffering of children and young people whose lives have been devastated by war, poverty, genocide, ethnic cleansing and all forms of abuse; recognises that this is a voluntary organisation that relies solely on the goodwill and donations of its supporters, committing 100% of all donations to humanitarian aid; further recognises that Spirit Aid has successfully undertaken projects in places such as Kosovo, Guinea Bissau, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Scotland, and supports Spirit Aid’s aim to attempt to hand back a better, healthier, safer and more just world to the children of the Earth.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, Hugh O’Donnell, Jim Hume, Brian Adam, Kenneth Gibson, George Foulkes, Hugh Henry, Bill Butler, Patricia Ferguson, Cathy Peattie, Rob Gibson, Sandra White, Mr Frank McAveety, Robin Harper, Rhona Brankin, Stuart McMillan, Jackie Baillie, Dr Richard Simpson, Joe FitzPatrick, Angela Constance, Linda Fabiani, Maureen Watt, Trish Godman, Marlyn Glen, Elaine Murray, Pauline McNeill, Bill Kidd, Sarah Boyack, Christina McKelvie, Gil Paterson, Rhoda Grant

S3M-5457 Pauline McNeill: Gaza Now Exhibition Marks the Anniversary of the War on Gaza—That the Parliament marks the first anniversary of the bombing of Gaza during the 22-day war that took place between 27 December 2008 and 18 January 2009 by exhibiting the Gaza Now exhibition, hosted by Edinburgh Direct Aid and the Cross-party Group on Palestine; notes with concern that the Gaza war resulted in 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis losing their lives, leaving in its wake a massive humanitarian disaster, with more than 400,000 Gazans left without running water while 4,000 homes were destroyed or damaged, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless; believes that all perpetrators of war crimes during Operation Cast Lead should be brought to justice; recognises the importance of the Goldstone report, which states that facts discovered during the mission led the team to conclude that Israel’s objective in the attack was to punish, humiliate and terrorise a civilian population; supports the recommendation in the Goldstone report that, to uphold respect for human rights and show no tolerance of state impunity from international law, there must be an independent and credible investigation of war crimes; reaffirms its support for calls for Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories, and supports the creation of a viable independent Palestinian state.

Supported by: Michael Matheson, Cathy Jamieson, Bill Kidd, Jackie Baillie, Bill Butler, David Stewart, Patricia Ferguson, Bob Doris, Malcolm Chisholm, Jim Tolson, Hugh O’Donnell, Sandra White, Robin Harper, Marlyn Glen, Rhona Brankin, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Jamie Hepburn, Ms Wendy Alexander, Hugh Henry, Elaine Smith, Gil Paterson, Linda Fabiani, Dr Richard Simpson, Cathy Peattie, Sarah Boyack, Liam McArthur, Dave Thompson, Rhoda Grant

S3M-5455 Shirley-Anne Somerville: Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill—That the Parliament notes with grave concern the proposals contained in the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which is currently being considered by the Parliament of Uganda; strongly condemns the oppressive legislation that could result in life imprisonment for homosexuality and also threatens imprisonment for anyone who does not inform the authorities of someone who is gay; recognises that the Bill is a gross violation of human rights, and calls for the international community to put continued pressure on the Ugandan Government to immediately withdraw the proposals.

Supported by: Bill Wilson, Hugh O’Donnell, Ken Macintosh, Alasdair Allan, Christopher Harvie, Bill Kidd, Anne McLaughlin, Bill Butler, Patricia Ferguson, Bob Doris, Joe FitzPatrick, Patrick Harvie, Aileen Campbell, Robin Harper, George Foulkes, Stewart Maxwell, Jack McConnell, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Marlyn Glen, Linda Fabiani, Malcolm Chisholm, Dr Richard Simpson, Cathy Peattie, Sarah Boyack, Liam McArthur, Christina McKelvie, Rob Gibson, Iain Smith, Margo MacDonald, John Park, Dave Thompson

S3M-5454 Rob Gibson: Creamola Fizzes Again!—That the Parliament welcomes news of the launch of Creamola Fizz, the reincarnation of an old favourite fizzy soluble drink, known as Creamola Foam Crystals, that used to be a big treat for young and old alike; recalls that it was withdrawn by Nestlé in 1998; welcomes its imminent return under local Scottish ownership, and wishes the new producer, Alan McCandlish of Cardross, every success with the expected relaunch early this year to delight a whole new generation of Creamola Fizz lovers.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Jackie Baillie, Cathy Peattie, Bill Wilson, Jim Hume, Anne McLaughlin, Jackson Carlaw, Sandra White, Bill Kidd, Patrick Harvie, Aileen Campbell, Brian Adam, Bob Doris, Christine Grahame, Iain Smith, Gil Paterson, Linda Fabiani, Maureen Watt, Dave Thompson, Rhoda Grant

S3M-5449 Kenneth Gibson: High-speed Rail Link—That the Parliament notes the failure of the UK Labour government to put forward any plans yet to proceed with a high-speed rail link north of the Midlands; acknowledges the economic benefits that such a rail link will have, and believes that not only should such a link include Scotland but that, for once, such a project should start in Scotland and extend south rather than the other way around with Scotland only being included decades later, as has happened notably in relation to motorway construction.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Bob Doris, Alasdair Allan, Sandra White, Michael Matheson, Bill Kidd, Stewart Maxwell, Brian Adam, Christina McKelvie, Rob Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Dave Thompson, Joe FitzPatrick

S3M-5448 Willie Coffey: International Year of Cooperatives—That the Parliament welcomes the decision of the United Nations (UN) to recognise the major role that cooperatives play in economic and social development by designating 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives; notes recent research by the International Labour Organisation that demonstrates the role that cooperatives can play in responding to economic crises; endorses the UN’s call for government action to help build the capacity of cooperatives; recalls Scotland’s contribution to the early development of the cooperative model, including the establishment of the Fenwick Weavers’ Society in 1761 and developments at New Lanark, founded by David Dale of Stewarton and taken forward by his son-in-law, Robert Owen, and expresses its strong support for plans being brought forward by, among others, Scotland’s cooperative and mutual societies, Co-operative Development Scotland and the Scottish Government to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Fenwick Weavers’ Society in 2011 and the International Year of Cooperatives in 2012.

Supported by: Elaine Smith, Rob Gibson, Brian Adam, Angela Constance, Bob Doris, Cathy Jamieson, Patrick Harvie, Bill Kidd, John Wilson, Jim Hume, Kenneth Gibson, Robert Brown, John Scott, Hugh O’Donnell, Ken Macintosh, Jamie Hepburn, Mr Frank McAveety, Margaret Mitchell, Robin Harper, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Stuart McMillan, Hugh Henry, James Kelly, Gil Paterson, Maureen Watt, Bill Butler, Linda Fabiani, Bill Wilson, Cathy Peattie, Sarah Boyack, Dave Thompson, Rhoda Grant

S3M-5447 Des McNulty: Support for Carer’s Organisations—That the Parliament expresses concern at the financial pressure being experienced by Carers of West Dunbartonshire, Carers Link East Dunbartonshire and the Princess Royal Trust, which provide support for carers in the Clydebank and Milngavie constituency; recognises the valuable work that these and similar organisations do everywhere in Scotland, and urges the Scottish Government, local authorities and NHS boards to continue to provide the vital financial support needed to support carers.

Supported by: Patricia Ferguson, Karen Whitefield, Pauline McNeill, Robin Harper, David Stewart, Cathy Jamieson, David Whitton, James Kelly, Johann Lamont, Mary Mulligan, Rhona Brankin, Jackie Baillie, Trish Godman, Dr Richard Simpson, Ken Macintosh, Mr Frank McAveety, Bill Butler, Hugh Henry, Ross Finnie, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5446 Patricia Ferguson: Congratulations to Hamiltonhill—That the Parliament notes that the tenants of Hamiltonhill have voted to transfer management of their housing to Queens Cross Housing Association in a ballot conducted by the Electoral Reform Society; congratulates the housing association on receiving 83.9% of the votes cast, and recognises the hard work of the association’s staff and of the committee of the Queens Cross (Hamiltonhill) Local Housing Organisation, led by Margaret Dillon, who have made such an important contribution to this outcome.

S3M-5445 Bill Kidd: Bankrupt Britain Goes for Bombs—That the Parliament expresses concern that, despite financial penury and cuts in services, the UK Government has submitted a planning application to build a new enriched uranium facility at Aldermaston that will be used to manufacture uranium components for nuclear warheads and considers that this represents a profligate waste of public money on weapons of mass destruction at a time of worry over nuclear proliferation in other parts of the world.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Bob Doris, Brian Adam, Patrick Harvie, Michael Matheson, Hugh O’Donnell, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Joe FitzPatrick, Kenneth Gibson, Anne McLaughlin, Bill Wilson, Robin Harper, Stewart Maxwell, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Rob Gibson, Linda Fabiani, Sandra White, Christina McKelvie, Dave Thompson

S3M-5444 Patrick Harvie: Brokenhagen—That the Parliament condemns the disgraceful sham, known as the Copenhagen Accord, agreed by certain governments at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP15), an accord that has no legally binding status and that contains no date for the peaking of global emissions, no global or national targets for subsequent cutting of emissions and no commitment to provide new financial resources from wealthy countries; condemns in particular the governments of the United States, China, Brazil, India and South Africa for brokering this accord and the UK Government for failing to condemn it; further condemns the decision to exclude key non-governmental organisations from the COP15 venue and the decision to announce this sham agreement to the US media before the parties to the conference had seen it; agrees with the words of President Barak Obama when he said that the ability of the world’s political leaders to take collective action against climate change was in question and considers that, by his own actions, the President has provided a starkly negative answer to this question, and believes that the outcome of the COP15 summit, once hailed as Hopenhagen, in fact demonstrates the abject failure of the current generation of political leaders in major nations around the world.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Robin Harper, Jamie Hepburn, Gil Paterson, Michael Matheson, Sandra White, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5442 Rhoda Grant: Congratulations to Linkwood Medical, Elgin—That the Parliament congratulates Linkwood Medical, Elgin, on winning the Practice Team Award for developing an innovative strategy for the management of chronic heart disease through the creation of a multidisciplinary clinic providing a one-stop service for patients; notes that this award has been created to recognise the outstanding work of practice teams achieving a high standard of quality patient care; further notes that practice teams from across Scotland were invited to apply for the award, which is given to a team that is able to demonstrate innovations within the practice that have a positive impact on patient care, and commends the hard work and dedication of all the staff at Linkwood Medical.

Supported by: Pauline McNeill, Sarah Boyack, Jackie Baillie, Dr Richard Simpson, Mary Scanlon, James Kelly, Karen Whitefield, Helen Eadie, Andy Kerr, Kenneth Gibson, David Stewart, Peter Peacock, Jamie McGrigor, Mary Mulligan, Robin Harper

S3M-5441 Mike Pringle: Thank You to the Forestry Commission—That the Parliament thanks the Forestry Commission Scotland for its generosity in providing a Christmas tree to all MSPs for donation to a local charity or organisation of their choice; notes the hard work of all the staff at Royal Blind Braeside House, the purpose-built care home for older people who are blind or visually impaired in Edinburgh; congratulates them and all the cheerful residents on the opening of their new sensory garden and their successful 10th anniversary year; hopes that they are enjoying their donated tree, and trusts that there will be many more successful years to come.

Supported by: Jim Hume, Bill Kidd, Jackie Baillie, Nigel Don, Elizabeth Smith, Nanette Milne, Jamie McGrigor, Angela Constance, John Scott, Patricia Ferguson, Robin Harper, Jack McConnell, Jim Tolson, Hugh O’Donnell, Joe FitzPatrick, Dr Richard Simpson, Liam McArthur, Alison McInnes, Sarah Boyack, Jamie Hepburn, Maureen Watt, Bill Wilson, Gil Paterson, Cathy Peattie, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5440 Jim Tolson: Screening of The Horse Boy—That the Parliament welcomes the only Scottish screening of Rupert Isaacson’s movie, The Horse Boy, and book signing at the Vine Church in Dunfermline on Saturday 9 January 2010; acknowledges that the funds raised from the film screening will go to the new charity, The Horse Boy Foundation UK, which raises money to enable families with a child with autism to attend a Horse Boy Camp in the United Kingdom; notes that the first Horse Boy Camp in Scotland will be held in Argyle in January 2010, and further notes that full details are available at www.visitdunfermline.com.

Supported by: Jim Hume, Bill Kidd, Ross Finnie, Aileen Campbell, Hugh O’Donnell, Gil Paterson, Maureen Watt

S3M-5439 Mr Frank McAveety: TASK Childcare Services—That the Parliament welcomes the announcement of £884,855 Big Lottery Fund funding to TASK Childcare Services in the Gorbals and south-east Glasgow; welcomes this investment in the local community, which will reduce barriers to childcare, support family learning and offer a range of educational, social and support services to individuals and families, including those who are disadvantaged by circumstances, vulnerable and socially and economically excluded; recognises the role of Glasgow City Council, which has agreed to transfer ownership of the building to TASK, and further welcomes this investment by the Big Lottery Fund in meeting its priorities of tackling disadvantage, advancing wellbeing and addressing inequalities.

Supported by: Sarah Boyack

S3M-5438 Margaret Curran: Action for Children Scotland’s Youthbuild Programme—That the Parliament congratulates Gary Scott from Baillieston on being commended in the annual Youthbuild Young Builder of the Year awards, held in the House of Commons in October 2009, after securing an apprenticeship through Action for Children Scotland’s Youthbuild programme; notes that Gary Scott’s participation in the Youthbuild programme involved detailed training for working on building sites and in the construction industry; considers that the Youthbuild programme offers excellent support to young people often facing multiple challenges in finding work, including poor family support, learning difficulties, alcohol or substance misuse, offending and poor social and personal skills; notes that the Youthbuild programme is now being rolled out into other parts of Scotland after proving extremely successful in offering hope of a better future for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and encourages further support for and investment in this programme in order that other young people like Gary Scott can break through injustice, deprivation and inequality and achieve their full potential.

Supported by: Karen Whitefield, Trish Godman, James Kelly, Mary Mulligan, Sarah Boyack, Paul Martin, Marilyn Livingstone, Jackie Baillie, Jack McConnell, Elaine Smith, Mr Frank McAveety, Robin Harper

S3M-5437 Cathie Craigie: Eastfield Primary School’s SEET Success—That the Parliament congratulates Eastfield Primary School in Cumbernauld on winning the North Lanarkshire heat of the Scottish European Educational Trust’s (SEET) Euroquiz; commends SEET for promoting and educating students in Scotland’s schools, colleges and universities about Europe and the European Union; hopes thatSEET will continue its good work across Scotland, and wishes Eastfield Primary School every success for the national final in May 2010.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Bill Kidd, James Kelly, Bill Butler, Ken Macintosh, Karen Whitefield, Aileen Campbell, Patricia Ferguson, Margaret Mitchell, Helen Eadie, Mary Mulligan, Pauline McNeill, Hugh O’Donnell, Sarah Boyack, Jamie Hepburn

S3M-5436# Jamie Hepburn: 175 Years of the Airdrie Savings Bank—That the Parliament notes that 2010 represents the 200th anniversary of the Scottish savings bank movement; recognises that Airdrie Savings Bank is the last remaining independent savings bank in the United Kingdom; further notes that Airdrie Savings Bank was formed in 1835 and celebrates its 175th anniversary in 2010; congratulates Airdrie Savings Bank for its relative success compared with the large banking groups during the recession, and considers that the success of Airdrie Savings Bank proves that a model of prudent and responsible banking continues to work after 175 years.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Brian Adam, Kenneth Gibson, Rob Gibson, Alasdair Allan, John Wilson, Bill Kidd, Christina McKelvie, Margaret Mitchell, Aileen Campbell, Maureen Watt, Tom McCabe, Hugh O’Donnell, Sandra White, Gil Paterson, Stuart McMillan, Jack McConnell, Michael Matheson, Linda Fabiani

S3M-5435 Stuart McMillan: Homecoming Scotland Wins at European Excellence Awards 2009—That the Parliament congratulates the Homecoming Scotland public relations team on winning the coveted Travel and Tourism award at the recent European Excellence Awards, which were held in Vienna; considers that this recognition is testament to the impact of partnership working with staff from VisitScotland, EventScotland and the Scottish Government in delivering a nationwide programme of events to celebrate Homecoming Scotland 2009, and acknowledges the hard work and dedication of all those involved in the Homecoming Scotland project, which has delivered 30 international travel trade partnerships and the international I am a Scot campaign, which reached 95 million people across the world and brought together more than 30 partnerships with key brands and companies.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Stewart Maxwell, Bob Doris, Brian Adam, Kenneth Gibson, Rob Gibson, Bill Kidd, Christina McKelvie, Maureen Watt, Aileen Campbell, Sandra White, Dave Thompson, Gil Paterson, Willie Coffey, Michael Matheson, Linda Fabiani

S3M-5434 Christine Grahame: Israel War Crime Court Action—That the Parliament notes the decision of an English court to issue an arrest warrant for the Israeli opposition leader, Tzipi Livni, who was foreign minister at the time of the three-week Israeli assault on Gaza, an attack in which, according to the United Nations, the Israeli Defence Force committed a number of war crimes, including the deliberate and systematic targeting of Palestinian civilians; supports any future arrest warrants being issued against the former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, and Ehud Barak, the defence minister, and considers that all states, including the United Kingdom, have a duty, under the principle of universal jurisdiction, when dealing with crimes against humanity to pursue war crime suspects and can bring them before English and Scottish courts regardless of whether the crime took place outside their normal legal jurisdiction; welcomes the precedent that this English court decision establishes despite reports that the British Government now plans to introduce new legislation to make Israeli Government ministers immune from such action, and urges relevant groups and organisations to bring similar court proceedings against other individual former US and UK Government ministers, such as George W Bush and Tony Blair, who are suspected of instigating wars in flagrant contravention of international legal mores.

Supported by: Bill Wilson, Aileen Campbell

S3M-5433 Brian Adam: European Curling Championships Aberdeen—That the Parliament congratulates Curl Aberdeen on its recent successful hosting of the European Curling Championship; recognises the tremendous efforts gone into securing and running this competition by Aberdeen Curling Club, especially George Esson and his colleagues on the organising committee; also congratulates Aberdeen City Council on its commitment to and delivery of the Linx Ice Arena on time and up to standard, and further encourages the partners to be bold in bidding to bring more such events to the great facilities in the city of Aberdeen.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, Michael Matheson, Nigel Don

S3M-5432 Patricia Ferguson: John Paul Academy, One Of the Most Improved Schools in Scotland—That the Parliament congratulates John Paul Academy in Summerston, Glasgow, on being recognised as one of the most improved schools in Scotland over the last year; notes that this year the proportion of pupils passing three or more Highers in S5 rose from 5% to 7%, while the percentage of S4 pupils achieving five or more Standard Grades went up from 11% to 17%; further notes that, over the last 15 months, exclusions have reduced by 98%; congratulates the new head teacher, Vincent Docherty, and all the staff and pupils of the school for their achievements, and wishes them well for their continued improvement and future success.

Supported by: Bill Butler, Cathy Jamieson, Mary Mulligan, Karen Whitefield, George Foulkes, Hugh Henry, Paul Martin, Elaine Smith, Jackie Baillie, Mr Frank McAveety, Des McNulty, James Kelly, Trish Godman, Jack McConnell, Pauline McNeill, Sarah Boyack

S3M-5431 Irene Oldfather: The 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion—That the Parliament notes that the European Union has declared that 2010 is the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion; recognises that almost 80 million European citizens live at risk of poverty; welcomes a commitment by the European Union to raise public awareness about these issues and to renew the political commitment of member states to combat poverty and social exclusion, and therefore encourages the Scottish Government to work alongside the UK Government to make 2010 a year when stereotypes and collective perceptions of poverty are challenged and ensure that everyone can play a full and active role in society.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Cathy Jamieson, Marlyn Glen, Dave Thompson, Dr Richard Simpson, Bob Doris, Gil Paterson, Trish Godman, Paul Martin, Hugh O’Donnell, Bill Butler, Patricia Ferguson, Des McNulty, Robin Harper, Jackie Baillie, James Kelly, Ken Macintosh, Helen Eadie, Mary Mulligan, Marilyn Livingstone, Sarah Boyack, Cathie Craigie, Hugh Henry, Cathy Peattie, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5430 Irene Oldfather: Can Gerry Robinson Fix Dementia Care Homes—That the Parliament commends the BBC-produced documentary series, Can Gerry Robinson Fix Dementia Care Homes?, for highlighting the poor living conditions that frail elderly people can face in the care home sector; recognises that, while the documentary is based in England, the problems experienced match up with those in Scotland as highlighted in the recent joint report by the Care Commission and Mental Welfare Commission, Remember, I’m Still Me; notes that the programme found examples of senior staff members with no training in dementia care and residents being kept inside during very good weather without access to the outside and garden and with no regular provision of mental or physical stimulation; further notes the concern expressed in the programme about residents’ bruising; believes that this programme demonstrates the need for a not-for-profit care home model to be piloted and that there is a need for improved staff training for all, with the possible introduction of a national qualification in dementia care, and therefore calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that the forthcoming national dementia strategy recognises the fundamental problems facing frail elderly residents with dementia in care homes, brings forward policies to address these issues and enables significant culture change in the sector.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Cathy Jamieson, Marlyn Glen, Dave Thompson, Dr Richard Simpson, Trish Godman, Hugh O’Donnell, Robin Harper, James Kelly, Jackie Baillie, Ken Macintosh, Helen Eadie, Mary Mulligan, Karen Whitefield, Marilyn Livingstone, Elaine Smith, Sarah Boyack, Hugh Henry, Cathy Peattie, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5427 Sarah Boyack: NFU Scotland, Festive Fare Campaign—That the Parliament congratulates NFU Scotland on its festive food campaign, which highlights the contribution that Scotland’s farmers will make to Scotland’s food and drinks industry this Christmas; notes that the campaign features farmers striving to produce the best in a variety of foods, including meat, cereals, fruit, vegetables and dairy; further notes the fantastic variety of Scottish produce available, and encourages the public to keep up support of Scotland’s farmers by making sure that their Christmas fare is Scottish this year.

Supported by: Dr Richard Simpson, Pauline McNeill, Jim Hume, Jamie Hepburn, Mary Mulligan, Ken Macintosh, Nanette Milne, Elaine Murray, Liam McArthur, Jackie Baillie, Bill Kidd, James Kelly, Aileen Campbell, Marilyn Livingstone, John Scott, Trish Godman, Dave Thompson, Jack McConnell, Karen Gillon, Helen Eadie, Rhona Brankin, Maureen Watt

S3M-5426# Liam McArthur: Car Parking Charges at HIAL Airports—That the Parliament notes the welcome, if belated, decision by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) to postpone the introduction of car parking charges at Kirkwall Airport; regrets that this decision was taken only after the board of HIAL initially rejected the unanimous recommendation of the statutory Kirkwall Airport Consultative Committee to put the introduction of the charges on hold until a proper consultation was undertaken; further notes that HIAL is considering imposing similar charges at its airports at Sumburgh and Stornoway; is concerned that the introduction of car parking charges at these island airports will add still further to the high cost for island residents of using their lifeline internal and external air services and of island life in general; expects the consultation to be thorough and to enable the detail of HIAL’s proposals, as well as the principle of charging, to be robustly challenged, and considers that the delay offers the opportunity for all Orcadians to make their views known and for islanders from Shetland and the Western Isles to add their voices to the campaign against the Kirkwall charges in order to avoid a precedent being set at Kirkwall, which HIAL could use to impose charges at Sumburgh and Stornoway .

Supported by: Tavish Scott, Alasdair Allan, Hugh O’Donnell, Mike Pringle, Bill Kidd, Ross Finnie, John Farquhar Munro, Rhoda Grant, Peter Peacock, Rob Gibson

S3M-5425 Jamie Hepburn: Tony Blair Finally Reveals the Truth on Iraq—That the Parliament recalls that the House of Commons voted in favour of the United Kingdom participating in the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 based on the premise that the Iraqi Government possessed weapons of mass destruction despite it being the case that UN weapons inspectors in Iraq had found no such weapons in the period before the invasion, that many people at the time considered it unlikely that any such weapons existed and that no such weapons have been found since the invasion; further recalls that this invasion took place in the face of significant domestic and international opposition to war; considers that the war in Iraq has led to the deaths of hundreds of coalition combatants and tens of thousands of civilians as well as unleashing previously unknown sectarian and political terrorism in Iraq; further considers that the recent revelation by Tony Blair that he would have supported military intervention in Iraq regardless of whether or not the Iraqi regime possessed weapons of mass destruction is telling in the extreme and suggests that those arguments that the regime did possess such weapons were no more than a charade used to justify an already-decided-on invasion that was more to do with Western political and economic interests than it ever was about removing any tangible threat posed to the UK or US by Iraq; believes that the actions of George Bush’s "coalition of the willing" in Iraq have served only to destabilise the world; notes the body of legal opinion that suggests that the invasion was illegal, and believes that this opinion should be put to the test by having those leaders who authorised the invasion tried before internationally recognised courts for their alleged criminality.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Joe FitzPatrick, Stuart McMillan, Bill Wilson, Gil Paterson, Sandra White, Christina McKelvie, Bill Kidd, Dave Thompson, Michael Matheson

S3M-5424 Michael McMahon: Save Our Steelworks—That the Parliament notes with concern the decision by Corus, a company owned by Tata Steel, to mothball the Teesside Cast Products factory; supports the efforts of Community, the union, to reverse this premature decision; believes that this decision could have an impact on steel production in Scotland; recognises that the Scottish and British steel industry still has the ability to deliver world-class products; values a future for a steel industry in the United Kingdom, and believes that if public works and the Forth crossing in Scotland are to create local jobs then there must be a future for both Scottish and British steel.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Cathy Jamieson, Sarah Boyack, Hugh Henry, George Foulkes, John Wilson, Cathie Craigie, Ken Macintosh, Kenneth Gibson, Nigel Don, Mr Frank McAveety, David Whitton, Jackie Baillie, Margaret Curran, James Kelly, Patricia Ferguson, Des McNulty, Elaine Murray, Bill Butler, Marilyn Livingstone, Karen Gillon, Malcolm Chisholm, Pauline McNeill, Marlyn Glen, Trish Godman, Mary Mulligan, John Park, Elaine Smith, Jack McConnell, Lewis Macdonald, Gil Paterson, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5418 Murdo Fraser: Black Watch Parades—That the Parliament gives its thanks and gratitude to the soldiers ofthe Black Watch, 3rd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, fortheir bravery, commitment and dignity during their recent tour in Afghanistan; recognises that thousands of people lined the streets in the Black Watch Homecoming Parades in Aberfeldy, Dundee, Dunfermline, Forfar, Inverness, Kirkcaldy and Perth, underlining the strong support and appreciation that people have for the Black Watch, and believes that the Black Watch is one of the best fighting units in the world today.

Supported by: Jack McConnell, Nigel Don

S3M-5417 Lewis Macdonald: Opening of Vattenfall’s Scottish Office, Boost to Renewable Sector—That the Parliament congratulates Vattenfall, one of Europe’s leading energy companies, on the opening of its new office in Edinburgh; welcomes the company’s commitment to Scotland and its development of a range of renewable technologies across the country; considers that a permanent base in Scotland will contribute to further development of renewable energy in Scotland, and further welcomes the company’s strong commitment to promoting low-carbon energy production and helping meet both climate change and renewable energy targets in the years ahead.

Supported by: Kenneth Gibson, Sarah Boyack, Robin Harper, Ken Macintosh, David Whitton, Gil Paterson, Hugh Henry, John Park, Mary Mulligan, Helen Eadie, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Jackie Baillie, James Kelly, Liam McArthur, Bill Kidd, Marlyn Glen, Trish Godman, Joe FitzPatrick, Patrick Harvie, Cathy Peattie, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5416 Maureen Watt: Aberdeen ADP Alcohol Strategy—That the Parliament welcomes the launch of Aberdeen City Alcohol and Drugs Partnership’s new 10-year strategy for tackling the problems caused by alcohol; acknowledges the key role that reducing consumption will play in this strategy, and agrees with health professionals, police services and the licensed trade that a minimum price per unit is a necessary tool for this aim to be realised.

Supported by: Joe FitzPatrick, Stewart Maxwell, Anne McLaughlin, Nigel Don, Ian McKee, Alasdair Allan, Brian Adam, Bill Kidd, Christina McKelvie, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson

S3M-5414 Alasdair Allan: Salar Smoked Salmon Launched in Tesco Stores—That the Parliament notes that 13 December 2009 saw the award-winning Salar smoked salmon from South Uist being launched in Tesco stores across Scotland; recognises that Scottish salmon is a high quality product that is renowned worldwide; believes that recognition from major retailers such as Tesco is delivering a boost to the Western Isles economy and helping the Salar smokehouse build on its recent success and recognition, and looks forward to further successes for Salar smoked salmon in the future.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Rob Gibson, Jamie McGrigor, Stuart McMillan, Bob Doris, Ken Macintosh, Sandra White, Gil Paterson, Aileen Campbell

S3M-5413 John Park: 40th Anniversary of the SJIB—That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry (SJIB) on celebrating its 40th anniversary; notes that the SJIB, founded in 1969, is a partnership between SELECT, formerly the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland, and Unite the Union; welcomes the SJIB’s work on governance and the maintenance of the National Working Rules, the registration and licensing of apprentices and adult trainees, the grading and registration of employees, the resolution of disputes and the provision of welfare benefits; further welcomes the aim of the SJIB to improve industrial relations in the electrical contracting industry, and looks forward to the continued success of the SJIB in the future.

Supported by: David Whitton, Jackie Baillie, Marlyn Glen, Ken Macintosh, Dr Richard Simpson, Gil Paterson, James Kelly, Bill Kidd, Mary Mulligan, Cathie Craigie, Karen Whitefield, Hugh Henry, Marilyn Livingstone, Trish Godman, Lewis Macdonald, Elaine Murray, Sarah Boyack, Jamie Hepburn, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5412 Cathie Craigie: Commending Whitelees Primary School—That the Parliament congratulates and commends Whitelees Primary in Abronhill, Cumbernauld, Scotland’s number one eco-friendly primary school, on the launch of its climate change song; recognises that more educational facilities should be highlighting the problems posed by global warming to their pupils and the surrounding community, and thanks the children and staff of Whitelees for their continual commitment to protecting the environment.

Supported by: Mary Mulligan, James Kelly, Robin Harper, Mr Frank McAveety, Jackie Baillie, Elaine Smith, Hugh O’Donnell, Ken Macintosh, John Park, Des McNulty, Bill Kidd, Christina McKelvie, Karen Whitefield, Hugh Henry, Cathy Peattie, Marilyn Livingstone, Trish Godman, Sarah Boyack, Jamie Hepburn

S3M-5410 Ian McKee: European Citizens’ Initiative—That the Parliament notes with interest the European Commission’s consultation on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI); recalls that the Lisbon treaty introduces the right of the citizens’ initiative, allowing for one million citizens who are nationals of a significant number of member states to call on the Commission to bring forward any legislative proposal that is within the framework of its powers; further notes that, before the ECI can be exercised, some rules and procedures need to be established, hence the need for the current consultation; believes that the ECI introduces a crucial element of democracy and legitimacy in the EU decision-making process; observes that the initiative gives way for direct democracy at the European level, allowing European citizens to influence the direction of European policy, and encourages Scottish citizens, organisations and public authorities to take part in the consultation process and exercise their right once the initiative has fully entered into force.

Supported by: Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Hugh O’Donnell, Sandra White, Gil Paterson, Michael Matheson, Dave Thompson, Jamie Hepburn

S3M-5409 Shirley-Anne Somerville: Drinking Is Not a Crime But Rape Is—That the Parliament welcomes the Rape Awareness Campaign launched by Lothian and Borders Police in conjunction with Rape Crisis Scotland and the Edinburgh Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre; notes that the campaign involves police officers, police staff and special constables handing out specially designed postcards depicting women enjoying themselves socially with the direct message that "drinking is not a crime.... but rape is"; supports the decision by Lothian and Borders Police to focus a public safety campaign on the clear message that women are not to blame for rape just because they have been drinking; recognises awareness-raising work being done by police and voluntary sector organisations across Scotland, including the washroom campaign launched on 10 December 2009 by Glasgow Community and Safety Services, which involves posters from Rape Crisis Scotland’s This is not an invitation to rape me campaign being placed in bars and clubs across the city for one month, and wishes these campaigns every success in their efforts to challenge unacceptable attitudes towards rape.

Supported by: Malcolm Chisholm, Michael Matheson, Alasdair Allan, Brian Adam, Bill Kidd, Jim Tolson, Christina McKelvie, Ian McKee, Stewart Maxwell, Kenneth Gibson, Aileen Campbell, Stuart McMillan, Patricia Ferguson, Ken Macintosh, Hugh O’Donnell, Robert Brown, Gil Paterson, Christine Grahame, Rhoda Grant, Joe FitzPatrick, Robin Harper, Bill Wilson, Jackie Baillie, Dr Richard Simpson, Maureen Watt, Hugh Henry, Angela Constance, Elaine Smith, Liam McArthur, Marlyn Glen, Trish Godman, Dave Thompson, Jack McConnell, Patrick Harvie, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5408 Rob Gibson: The Network Change Programme in Argyll and Bute: A Case Study—That the Parliament welcomes Consumer Focus Scotland’s research report, The Network Change Programme in Argyll and Bute: A Case Study, which examines the impact of post office closures on consumers in the Argyll and Bute area; believes that this empowering research, which engaged directly with people affected by the closures, highlights important lessons about the weaknesses in the consultation process and the impact that the programme has had on local communities, and further believes that the report’s recommendations should be carefully considered by Post Office Ltd and acted on now in order to address the concerns expressed by consumers and also to inform any future consultations on changes to the post office network in Scotland.

Supported by: Stuart McMillan, Kenneth Gibson, Michael Matheson, Maureen Watt, Gil Paterson, Dave Thompson

S3M-5407 John Lamont: Hawick Learning Community—That the Parliament congratulates the Hawick Learning Community on its Vision 2014 project, which was recently exhibited in the Scottish Parliament; notes that the project was presented by pupils from Stirches Primary School, Newcastleton Primary School, Denholm Primary School, Hobkirk Primary School, Drumlanrig Primary School, Wilton Primary School, Trinity Primary School, St Margaret’s Primary School, Burnfoot Community School and Hawick High School; recognises the hard work that went into the preparation of the project by both pupils and staff and the enthusiasm with which it was presented, and wishes success to all schools involved as they work toward the celebration year of 2014.

Supported by: Elizabeth Smith, Nanette Milne, Jamie McGrigor, Derek Brownlee, Bill Aitken, Margaret Mitchell, Ken Macintosh, David McLetchie, Robin Harper, Jim Hume, Bill Kidd, Ted Brocklebank, Jackson Carlaw, Aileen Campbell, Gil Paterson, Christine Grahame, Murdo Fraser, Maureen Watt

S3M-5406 Stuart McMillan: Cuts to Army Cadet Force—That the Parliament expresses concern that the UK Government plans to cut the Army Cadet Force budget by £4 million; notes the UK Government’s turnaround on residency rights for the Gurkhas and planned cuts to the Territorial Army; considers that the army cadets are the soldiers of tomorrow and that these short-sighted cuts risk the future of an organisation that has given young people a taste of military discipline and leadership for nearly 150 years, and therefore calls on the UK Government to abandon proposed cuts to the Army Cadet Force.

Supported by: Joe FitzPatrick, Bob Doris, Kenneth Gibson, Rob Gibson, Anne McLaughlin, Linda Fabiani, Angela Constance, Dave Thompson

S3M-5404 Murdo Fraser: Special Praise for Special Treats—That the Parliament praises the work of the Special Treats charity based in Rattray, Perthshire; recognises that Special Treats organises a number of visits and events for the people of Rattray and District, which allows people in Rattray and the surrounding area to have greater community interaction and involvement; believes that the charity has created a stronger community spirit, and thanks all the volunteers for their dedication, commitment and time.

S3M-5403 Patricia Ferguson: Queens Cross Gets Gold—That the Parliament congratulates Queens Cross Housing Association on achieving a Gold Healthy Working Lives Award for its work in the areas of health and environment, employability and community health and wellbeing; notes that the association is now aiming for a Mental Health Commendation Award, and wishes it well in its endeavours.

Supported by: Des McNulty, Jackie Baillie, James Kelly, Cathy Jamieson, Pauline McNeill, Bill Butler, Sarah Boyack, Mr Frank McAveety, Karen Whitefield, Mary Mulligan, Hugh Henry, Cathy Peattie, Trish Godman

S3M-5402 Marilyn Livingstone: Toni Walton’s Success at the ProjectScotland Voscars 2009—That the Parliament congratulates volunteer Toni Walton for her recognition at the ProjectScotland Voscars 2009 for her work with the YMCA in Kirkcaldy; considers her award of Commendation for Community, Education and Training an excellent achievement; notes that, throughout her placement, Toni has delivered a number of programmes, ranging from youth work to working with adults with learning disabilities, and has undertaken several challenging projects, including helping to look after young children referred by social workers, and acknowledges that Toni has helped over 250 people in her local community in programmes that promote social inclusion and build skills.

Supported by: Claire Baker, Bill Butler, Dr Richard Simpson, Jackie Baillie, Sarah Boyack, Karen Whitefield, Mary Mulligan, Hugh Henry

S3M-5400 Hugh Henry: Renfrewshire Council Trading Standards—That the Parliament welcomes the initiative by Renfrewshire Council to recycle seized counterfeit clothing to homeless people; congratulates the trading standards service on its success in seizing these counterfeit goods; welcomes the help for disadvantaged people with goods seized from criminals, and further commends Renfrewshire Council’s initiative to other local authorities.

Supported by: Michael Matheson

S3M-5399 Linda Fabiani: Human Rights for the Saharawi—That the Parliament notes the case of Aminatou Haidar, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, currently on hunger strike in Lanzarote, Spain, to where she was deported apparently for refusing to acknowledge Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara; notes her letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, delivered on International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2009, requesting that he and his government do what they can to persuade Morocco to immediately desist from the arbitrary arrest, torture and "disappearing" of human rights defenders in occupied Western Sahara, to free the prisoners of conscience held in Moroccan jails, including the seven human rights activists who were arrested in Casablanca on 7 October and are awaiting sentence in Sale/Rabat prison and to allow the United Nations to hold a referendum on self-determination for Western Sahara, and acknowledges that Aminatou Haidar’s campaign is not about theindividual right of one person to return to her home and children, but about the collective right denied to the Saharawi people to live freely in their native land.

Supported by: Michael Matheson, Christine Grahame, Cathy Jamieson, Marlyn Glen

S3M-5398 James Kelly: People’s Postcode Lottery—That the Parliament welcomes the continued work of the People’s Postcode Lottery in its support for charitable causes in Scotland; notes the news that some of the residents in the G73 1 postcode sector in Rutherglen will share in a £2 million payout, which will be an early Christmas present to all concerned, and wishes the lottery every success as it continues to raise money for good causes in Scotland.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Jackie Baillie, Anne McLaughlin, Joe FitzPatrick, Kenneth Gibson, Pauline McNeill, Bill Butler, Elaine Murray, Mr Frank McAveety, Karen Whitefield, Gil Paterson, Patricia Ferguson, Hugh Henry, Sandra White, Trish Godman, Marilyn Livingstone

S3M-5397 Stuart McMillan: Inverclyde Council Provides Information in Sign Language—That the Parliament welcomes the news that Inverclyde Council is one of the first local authorities to make sign language available on its website; notes that the council has been in discussions with the local deaf community and Inverclyde Council on Disability (ICOD) on how to implement this initiative on its website; further notes that the interpretations have been produced by a local deaf youth group, Open Doors Media Project, the members of which have completed their media skills training at James Watt College; acknowledges the forward thinking actions of Inverclyde Council to have sign language available on its website, and congratulates all those involved in making this possible.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Rob Gibson, Bill Wilson, Bob Doris, Aileen Campbell, Bill Kidd, Gil Paterson, Hugh Henry, Angela Constance

S3M-5396 Christina McKelvie: Rethink Afghanistan—That the Parliament notes the recent screening at Edinburgh’s Filmhouse of campaigning filmmaker Robert Greenwald’s acclaimed real-time documentary, Rethink Afghanistan, which is also available to watch for free online at www.rethinkafghanistan.com; further notes that the film’s makers have interviewed Afghan MPs, women’s groups, peace campaigners, members of the armed forces and others on the ground in Afghanistan with the aim of informing and redirecting political thinking about the purpose and objectives of the intervention in Afghanistan; further notes that the war in Afghanistan has now lasted for over eight years and has claimed the lives of over 230 UK troops and an estimated 7,000 Afghan civilians, and calls on the UK Government to rethink the United Kingdom’s role in Afghanistan, the objectives of the intervention and the timescale within which the government believes that these goals will be achieved.

Supported by: Angela Constance, Bill Kidd, Bill Wilson, Rob Gibson, Elaine Smith, Hugh O’Donnell, Christine Grahame, Gil Paterson, Dave Thompson

S3M-5395 Bill Butler: Oesophageal Cancer in Scotland—That the Parliament notes the publication of research by Ochre, the national oesophageal cancer charity, into the condition in Scotland; expresses its concern that Scotland has much higher rates of oesophageal cancer than other parts of the United Kingdom; considers that early diagnosis is critical to successful treatment and that GP and public awareness of the condition needs to be improved so that early symptoms can be correctly identified; notes that, according to Ochre’s research, there is often confusion regarding cancer of the throat and oesophageal cancer and that they are separate conditions; notes that the World Health Organization has warned that oesophageal cancer is predicted to rise by 64.3% by 2020, and urges the Scottish Government to ensure better access to endoscopy services at primary health care locations in order to speed up diagnosis and improve patient outcomes.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Dr Richard Simpson, Cathy Jamieson, Sarah Boyack, James Kelly, Hugh Henry, Malcolm Chisholm, Mr Frank McAveety, John Park, David Stewart, Jackson Carlaw, Patricia Ferguson, Ross Finnie, Ken Macintosh, Pauline McNeill, Rhona Brankin, Mary Mulligan, Elaine Smith, Lewis Macdonald, Nanette Milne, Karen Whitefield, Rhoda Grant, Cathie Craigie, Angela Constance, Tom McCabe, Marilyn Livingstone, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5394 Nigel Don: Rail Fares for Companions of Deafblind People—That the Parliament notes that, although deafblind rail passengers receive free rail travel across Scotland, people accompanying them have to pay a full fare; considers that people with a dual sensory impairment are extremely unlikely to travel unaccompanied and therefore need a companion; notes that there are currently concessionary fares available for people aged over 55 and considers that, at the very least, this could be extended to include companions of dual sensory impaired travellers, and calls on all train companies across Scotland to review their policies toward people accompanying deafblind travellers and consider introducing free travel for their companions.

Supported by: Bill Wilson, Bill Kidd, Joe FitzPatrick, Patricia Ferguson, Charlie Gordon, Alasdair Allan, Aileen Campbell, Stuart McMillan, Bill Butler, Kenneth Gibson, Jim Tolson, Nicol Stephen, Dr Richard Simpson, Hugh O’Donnell, Michael Matheson, Sandra White, Gil Paterson, Christine Grahame, Hugh Henry, Tom McCabe, Trish Godman, Mary Mulligan

S3M-5393 Karen Whitefield: From Black Mountain to Blue Water Exhibition—That the Parliament commends the From Black Mountain to Blue Water exhibition, which features artwork by North Lanarkshire senior pupils produced during the annual Kilbowie Art and Design Summer School 2009; notes that the exhibition will run until 10 January 2010 at Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in Coatbridge; further notes that the exhibition contains over 40 works in oils, pastels, mixed media, textiles and musical composition; supports the aims of the summer school, which offers both a residential working environment and an inspirational opportunity for senior pupils studying art and design and music at what is a crucial stage in their artistic life and development; congratulates the students on the high quality of their work; wishes them every success in developing their creative talents, and commends North Lanarkshire Council on its commitment to providing such a valuable and often life-changing experience for young artists in the region.

Supported by: Cathie Craigie, Christina McKelvie, Trish Godman, James Kelly, Elizabeth Smith, Patricia Ferguson, Jackie Baillie, Claire Baker, Ken Macintosh, Bill Kidd, Hugh Henry, Elaine Smith, Mary Mulligan, Aileen Campbell, Angela Constance, Marilyn Livingstone, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5392 Des McNulty: Music for a Christmas Evening—That the Parliament congratulates all the local theatrical and musical groups in West Dunbartonshire together with the council staff responsible for the Music for a Christmas Evening series of concerts that have been running for more than 20 years to raise money for local music groups and notes that this year’s concerts, which included a Homecoming theme at the suggestion of West Dunbartonshire Council, were both enjoyable and were attended by over 1,300 people and that over £1,100 was collected on the three nights of performances for Macmillan Nurses, St Margaret of Scotland Hospice and Robin House, the children’s hospice in Balloch.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Trish Godman, David Stewart, Jackson Carlaw, Mary Mulligan, Bob Doris, Karen Whitefield, Stewart Maxwell, Bill Butler, Aileen Campbell, Hugh Henry, Ken Macintosh, Anne McLaughlin, Mr Frank McAveety, Dr Richard Simpson, James Kelly, Ross Finnie, Gil Paterson

S3M-5390 Hugh Henry: Security Industry Authority—That the Parliament welcomes the progress made by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) in regulating the private security industry; notes that many reputable security firms deliver high standards of professionalism and service; believes that the SIA approved contractor scheme makes a valuable contribution in setting quality standards; supports the steps taken to ensure that Scottish Government contracts are awarded only to companies that are members of the approved contractor scheme, and calls on all public agencies and councils to introduce a similar rule for any contracts awarded to private security operators.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Bill Kidd, Bill Butler, Kenneth Gibson, Des McNulty, Bob Doris, David Whitton, Ms Wendy Alexander, Elaine Smith, Bill Wilson, Dr Richard Simpson, Hugh O’Donnell, Karen Whitefield, Ken Macintosh, Mary Mulligan, Cathie Craigie, Angela Constance, Trish Godman, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5389# Marilyn Livingstone: Save Our Car Park Campaign, Kirkcaldy—That the Parliament supports the Save Our Car Park campaign in Kirkcaldy in which High Street retailers, members of the public, politicians and The Fife Free Press have rejected a proposal by Fife Council to build a local swimming pool on the busiest public car park serving Kirkcaldy High Street; considers that space restrictions on the site mean that the pool could not be extended to include fit-for-purpose dry sports facilities when funding became available; also considers that having the pool in this location will take away key car parking facilities for the town centre and will be detrimental to the work that has been done by retailers on the High Street to boost the local economy; further considers the overwhelming opposition to Fife Council’s decision, with campaigners collecting over 2,000 signatures in support; recognises that those opposing the choice of location include large and small town centre traders, shoppers, car park users, Kirkcaldy Area Sports Council, sports clubs, pool users and individuals throughout Kirkcaldy, and believes the scope of the consultation conducted by Fife Council to have been inadequate, as demonstrated through widespread public opposition to the decision.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, David Stewart, Dr Richard Simpson, Mary Mulligan, Mr Frank McAveety, Trish Godman, David Whitton, Helen Eadie, John Park, Irene Oldfather

S3M-5389.1# Jim Tolson: Save Our Car Park Campaign, Kirkcaldy—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5389) in the name of Marilyn Livingstone, leave out from "supports"to end and insert "welcomes the proposal by Fife Council to build an improved sport and leisure complex in central Kirkcaldy with facilities including a main swimming pool with a movable floor, a smaller pool, a four-badminton-court sized main sports hall, a fitness suite and an aerobics suite; considers that the decision to proceed with this project to create a 21st century facility was agreed after extensive public consultation and with the support of residents and retailers, and acknowledges that this project is one of three major leisure facilities being either rebuilt or replaced by Fife Council in Dunfermline, Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy."

Supported by: Jim Hume, Hugh O’Donnell

S3M-5387 Sandra White: Viva la Revolution—That the Parliament congratulates Cuba on the 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution; notes the United Nations Human Development Report 2009, which acknowledges that Cuba, despite the ongoing economic blockade by the United States and limited resources, has achieved health and education standards that are as good as, if not better than, most developed countries in the world, with a 99.8% literacy rate and a 78.5-year life expectancy, and would welcome increased cooperation and cultural exchange between Scotland and Cuba for the benefit of both countries.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Elaine Smith, Aileen Campbell, Jamie Hepburn, Rob Gibson, Hugh Henry, Anne McLaughlin, Christina McKelvie, Gil Paterson, Bill Aitken, Linda Fabiani, Christine Grahame

S3M-5387.1 Murdo Fraser: Viva la Revolution—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5387) in the name of Sandra White, leave out from first "Cuba" to end and insert "Human Rights Watch on the publication of its report, New Castro, Same Cuba, exposing ongoing abuses of human rights under the leadership of Raúl Castro; notes from the report that the Raúl Castro government has relied on the criminal code offence of dangerousness, which allows authorities to imprison individuals before they have committed any crime, on the suspicion that they are likely to commit an offence in the future and that this dangerousness provision is defined as behaviour that contradicts Cuba’s socialist norms; notes the reported case of Ramón Velásquez Toranzo who set out on a peaceful march across Cuba to call for respect for human rights and freedom for all political prisoners and was arrested and sentenced to three years in prison for dangerousness in January 2007; further notes the reported case of Raymundo Perdigón Brito, a journalist who wrote articles documenting abuses by the government and published them on foreign websites, who was sentenced to four years in prison for dangerousness in December 2006 and has endured repeated beatings by guards and solitary confinement during his incarceration; also notes the comments of José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, that "In his three years in power, Raúl Castro has been just as brutal as his brother" and that "Cubans who dare to criticize the government live in perpetual fear, knowing they could wind up in prison for merely expressing their views", and therefore considers that MSPs should desist from legitimising the Cuban regime by heaping praise on Cuba."

Supported by: Jamie McGrigor, Nanette Milne, Jackson Carlaw

S3M-5386 Aileen Campbell: Silver Band Success at Scottish Challenge Cup—That the Parliament congratulates Coalburn Silver Band, South Lanarkshire, on its success in the Scottish Challenge Cup for brass bands held in Perth, beating seven other bands; recognises the band’s further success in being crowned Scottish Brass Band of the year 2009, Borders Champions, Fife Brass Band Champions and coming fifth in the British Championships; believes that this recognition of its musical excellence is further proof of the band’s talent, and wishes Coalburn Silver Band all the best for the future.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Alasdair Allan, Rob Gibson, Jim Hume, Sandra White, Stuart McMillan, David Stewart, Bob Doris, Christina McKelvie, Bill Kidd, Gil Paterson, Christine Grahame, Angela Constance

S3M-5385 Liam McArthur: Orkney Success in Scottish Green Energy Awards—That the Parliament welcomes the growing success of the Scottish Green Energy Awards with exciting developments in Scotland’s renewable energy industry providing keener competition every year for each award; notes the deserved success of the Westray Development Trust, which won the Best Community Initiative in recognition of its investment in renewable energy including its recently erected 900 kW wind turbine; further notes that the Best New Business Award was won by Smarter Grid Solutions for its work installing the United Kingdom’s first smart grid on Orkney; believes that the example of Westray should be followed by other enterprising communities across Scotland and that, with the help of Smarter Grid Solutions’ smart grid technology, this could lead to a rapid growth in community renewable energy projects, and so congratulates the Westray Development Trust, Smarter Grid Solutions and all other winners of the 2009 awards.

Supported by: Rhoda Grant, Peter Peacock, Sarah Boyack

S3M-5384 Bill Wilson: EU Tax on Mobility Scooters is Tax on Disability—That the Parliament notes that in 2007 49% of Scottish disabled people were workless, that the risk of poverty in a household was far higher if the household contained a disabled adult and that, according to the Department for Work and Pensions report, Family Resources Survey, United Kingdom, 2007-08, 24% of individuals in disabled households were in poverty compared with only 14% of individuals in non-disabled households; further notes that the reclassification of mobility scooters by the European Commission means that they are now subject to a 10% import tax and that this could in many cases be passed on to the consumer; therefore believes that this reclassification amounts to a tax on disabled people, and joins the charity, Elizabeth Finn Care, in calling on the UK Government to press the commission to reverse this decision or introduce measures in the UK that will ensure that the hardship of some of the most financially vulnerable people in society is not increased.

Supported by: Hugh O’Donnell, Jamie Hepburn, Mike Pringle, Hugh Henry, Stuart McMillan, Stewart Maxwell, Bob Doris, Sandra White, Gil Paterson, Angela Constance, Brian Adam, Aileen Campbell, Christopher Harvie, Maureen Watt, Willie Coffey, Joe FitzPatrick, Dave Thompson

S3M-5383 Willie Coffey: Frank Beattie, Captain of Kilmarnock FC—That the Parliament notes with sadness the death of Frank Beattie, captain of Kilmarnock FC’s league championship-winning side in 1965; recognises that Frank played a pivotal role in the success of the club during this era and played over 600 games for the club; notes that he led the club in some of its most famous matches, notably against Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt, where Kilmarnock came back from four goals down to win 5-4 at a packed Rugby Park, and reaching the semi-final of the European Fairs Cup against a famous Leeds United team, and offers its condolences to Frank’s family, Kilmarnock FC and its dedicated supporters.

Supported by: Cathy Jamieson, Jamie Hepburn, Stuart McMillan, Jim Hume, Kenneth Gibson, Hugh Henry, Brian Adam, Bill Butler, Bob Doris, Aileen Campbell, John Park, Mike Pringle, Mr Frank McAveety, Hugh O’Donnell, Sandra White, Margaret Mitchell, Bill Kidd, Christina McKelvie, Anne McLaughlin, Angela Constance, Michael Matheson, Gil Paterson

S3M-5382 Cathy Peattie: John Burnie—That the Parliament expresses sympathy to the widow and family of the late John Burnie, 1946 to 2009, engineer and effective founder, through the Scottish Railway Preservation Society, of the Scottish Railway Museum at Bo’ness, one of Europe’s greatest railway collections, and expresses support for John Burnie’s longer-term ambition to make the museum a centre of technical education, an issue of great importance in coping with new engineering challenges.

Supported by: Christopher Harvie, Jamie Hepburn, Stuart McMillan, Anne McLaughlin, Angela Constance, Rob Gibson, Bob Doris, Mr Frank McAveety, Robin Harper, Trish Godman, Joe FitzPatrick, Hugh Henry, Aileen Campbell, Helen Eadie, Ian McKee, George Foulkes, Mary Mulligan, Kenneth Gibson, James Kelly, John Park, Jackie Baillie, Christina McKelvie, Patricia Ferguson, Bill Kidd, Michael Matheson, Rhona Brankin, Karen Whitefield, Linda Fabiani, Gil Paterson, Christine Grahame, Tom McCabe, Marilyn Livingstone, Margaret Mitchell

S3M-5381 Robin Harper: Domestic Abuse in SOAs—That the Parliament notes the Scottish Women’s Aid analysis of local authority Single Outcome Agreements 2009 and expresses its concern at the appallingly low level of engagement through single outcome agreements (SOA); notes in particular that fewer than one in three have specific reference in the area profile to children affected by domestic abuse, only 13 SOAs refer to specific domestic abuse or violence against women action plans, only five SOAs make any reference to violence-against- women in relation to gender equality despite half of the councils highlighting an increase in reported incidents of domestic abuse and only 11 state addressing this as a priority; considers that it is not clear how the implementation of national policy at a local level is monitored and evaluated or even how local authorities and their community planning partners can be held to account, and calls on the Scottish Government to address and report on this situation as a matter of urgency.

Supported by: Trish Godman, Jackie Baillie, Marlyn Glen, Ken Macintosh, Hugh Henry, Bill Butler, Dr Richard Simpson, Patrick Harvie, Elaine Smith, Mary Mulligan, Pauline McNeill, Karen Whitefield, Rhoda Grant, Tom McCabe, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5380 Bill Wilson: Greenspace Is Good - So Prove It!—That the Parliament welcomes the Big Lottery Fund Research Programme’s funding of greenspace scotland’s two-year social return on investment research programme called Greenspace is good – so prove it!; notes that this aims to enable 12 urban community greenspace groups to understand, calculate and demonstrate the impact of their projects in a way that conventional economic analysis would not, and anticipates that the project will add to the evidence, as referenced in motion S3M-5232, that green space has considerable benefits for individuals and communities such that every pound spent on developing it is returned severalfold in terms of improved health and wellbeing, reduced levels of crime, improved community cohesion etc.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Robin Harper, Jamie Hepburn, Hugh O’Donnell, Joe FitzPatrick, Gil Paterson, Elaine Smith, Hugh Henry, Bob Doris, Aileen Campbell, Sarah Boyack

S3M-5377 Bill Wilson: Lloyds Pays Huge Bonuses to Senior Managers and Cuts Everything Else—That the Parliament notes reports that Lloyds Banking Group, 43% owned by the UK taxpayer, is to pay integration awards of up to 80% of basic salary to its senior managers, which would amount to £828,000 for its chief executive, Eric Daniels, that the integration with HBOS has already led to the loss of over 10,000 jobs, that Lloyds is reducing pension benefits for 56,000 of its staff, that it is unlikely to meet its commitments to increase lending to small businesses and that it is considering whether to serve notice on Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland to terminate the historic covenant, effectively ending the 25-year funding relationship between the banking group and the foundation; believes that the bank’s actions constitute gross insensitivity at a time of hardship for many, that the awards to its management break the spirit of the agreement between Lloyds Banking Group and the UK Government not to pay discretionary cash bonuses in relation to 2009 performance to any staff earning above £39,000, and calls for the hypothesis that organisations perform best when they are led by people who are attracted and retained only by enormous salaries to be objectively evaluated, not least in light of the considerable evidence that an unequal society is also an unhealthy and unhappy one, as mentioned in motion S3M-5273.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Hugh O’Donnell, Robin Harper, Jamie Hepburn, Gil Paterson, Hugh Henry, Christine Grahame, Alasdair Allan

S3M-5372 Trish Godman: Stop Demand, End Prostitution Now—That the Parliament congratulates Glasgow City Council and the End Prostitution Now campaign in their aim to raise awareness of the harm caused by prostitution and to put the focus firmly on the buyers of sex who create the demand and have been invisible from the public debate until now; considers that only by targeting this demand and challenging attitudes toward buying sex will a stop be put to this harmful activity that blights Scotland’s cities and towns; agrees that prostitution is an appalling form of human exploitation, and believes that an unequivocal message must be sent that buying sex will not be tolerated.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Marlyn Glen, Mike Pringle, Elaine Smith, Bill Butler, Cathy Jamieson, Karen Whitefield, Margaret Curran, Helen Eadie, Patricia Ferguson, Hugh Henry, Dr Richard Simpson, Rhona Brankin, Charlie Gordon, Ken Macintosh, Sandra White, Mary Mulligan, Des McNulty, Rhoda Grant, Marilyn Livingstone, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5371 Mike Pringle: Congratulations to Lloyds Pharmacy for ALCulator Initiative—That the Parliament congratulates Lloyds Pharmacy on its excellent ALCulator initiative as part of its Neighbourhood Health Watch campaign; considers that the ALCulator is a valuable and accessible tool that allows internet users to type in the volume of alcohol that they are consuming each week, calculates an annual total and offers health advice depending on the results; notes that, between 2007 and 2008, there were 43,210 alcohol-related admissions to hospitals in Scotland, 33% of which were repeat admissions; recognises the need for a coordinated and consistent approach to tackling the over-consumption of alcohol, and further recognises the value of frontline services, such as pharmacies, that seek to educate the public about the dangers of over-consumption, both in relieving pressure on the NHS and in helping to tackle Scotland’s deadly relationship with alcohol.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Hugh O’Donnell, Hugh Henry, Trish Godman, Ian McKee, Gil Paterson

S3M-5370 Stewart Maxwell: Top of the Lollipops—That the Parliament congratulates John Foley, the newly crowned Lollipop Person of the Year 2009, who patrols the crossing at Bushes Primary School in Paisley; notes the efforts of the pupils and parents in seeing John nominated, with their rendition of The Proclaimers’ I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles); considers Mr Foley’s enthusiasm to be a model of excellence for all lollipop men and women across the country, and further notes that the pupils plan to spend the cash prize on creating a community garden in the school with John as Head Gardener.

Supported by: Jamie McGrigor, Bob Doris, Alasdair Allan, Bill Kidd, Jim Tolson, Ms Wendy Alexander, Brian Adam, Ross Finnie, Robin Harper, Bill Wilson, Stuart McMillan, Rob Gibson, Jamie Hepburn, Aileen Campbell, Anne McLaughlin, Gil Paterson, Hugh Henry, Jack McConnell, Sandra White, Angela Constance, Maureen Watt

S3M-5369# Elaine Smith: Cuban Culture Comes to Coatbridge—That the Parliament welcomes links between Coatbridge and Cuba in 2009, this historic 50th anniversary year of the Cuban revolution; congratulates the Mint in Coatbridge for securing Cuba-friendly status after hosting an evening of Cuban culture earlier this year; recognises that Coatbridge is becoming more Cuba-friendly as this is the second event of this kind in the area, with the first being held at Big Owen’s Bar in 2008; understands that being a Cuba-friendly bar means offering customers the opportunity to purchase Cuban Havana Club rum to help boost the Cuban economy rather than buying Bacardi, the headquarters of which are in Bermuda and which is made in Puerto Rico; considers that Cuba-friendly events provide an opportunity to raise awareness of Cuba’s remarkable achievements in terms of poverty reduction, healthcare and education in spite of particularly difficult circumstances, not least those imposed by the US blockade; considers that Bacardi lawyers were influential in the drafting of the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, which sought to extend the scope of the US embargo against Cuba; further notes that the UN General Assembly last month voted 187 to 3 in opposition to the US trade embargo on Cuba, up from 185 to 3 last year, with only Israel and the Pacific island nation of Palau supporting the United States; believes that the annual vote serves to highlight global opposition to the United State’s hard-line policy toward the socialist island; also believes that there has never been such a wide-ranging and brutal blockade against a people as the US blockade of Cuba, believed by some to be illegal; supports the 248 MPs at Westminster who have signed Early Day Motion 1171, which calls on the UK Government to support better UK-Cuba relations, and believes that Scotland-Cuba relations and Scottish interests in the region can be encouraged through cultural and economic links.

Supported by: Marlyn Glen, Bill Butler, Sandra White, Bill Wilson, Robin Harper, Jamie Hepburn, Bill Kidd, Hugh O’Donnell, Gil Paterson, Hugh Henry, Christina McKelvie, Linda Fabiani, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5368 Trish Godman: The Proposed Extradition of Gary McKinnon to America—That the Parliament views with serious concern the proposed extradition to the United States of America of Glasgow-born Gary McKinnon, who has Asperger syndrome and who can best be described as a misguided or deluded hacker rather than a saboteur; believes that the Extradition Act 2003, which is being employed to send him to the USA, is manifestly unbalanced in that it denies both due process and equality of treatment; agrees with his mother, Janis Sharp, that "we do not have equal rights with Americans"; is of the view that, were Gary McKinnon to be sent to the USA to be imprisoned there, it is extremely doubtful that his human rights would be protected and his medical needs attended to in that country’s overcrowded and chronically under-funded prison system; notes the observation made by Lord Carlile, QC, that Gary McKinnon’s proposed extradition is disproportionate, unnecessary and avoidable, and therefore concludes that, if Gary McKinnon has to stand trial for offences that he is alleged to have committed, he should be tried in a court in the United Kingdom.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Stewart Maxwell, Hugh O’Donnell, Mike Pringle, Brian Adam, Ross Finnie, Robin Harper, Bill Wilson, Elaine Smith, John Farquhar Munro, Jackie Baillie, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Helen Eadie, Patrick Harvie, Jamie Hepburn, Anne McLaughlin, Bill Butler, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Hugh Henry, Sandra White, Rhona Brankin, Robert Brown, Christina McKelvie, Elaine Murray, Linda Fabiani, Christine Grahame, Angela Constance, Maureen Watt, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5367 Stewart Maxwell: CIEH Sets up Scotland as Region—That the Parliament is disappointed to note that CIEH, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has decided to set up an administrative region in Scotland; asserts that the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) meets all of Scotland’s needs with regards to environmental health, support and training; commends the good work done by REHIS; notes that REHIS overwhelmingly expressed its disapproval at CIEH’s decision at its recent AGM, and fully supports the REHIS position.

R R

Supported by: Brian Adam, Rob Gibson, Gil Paterson, Ken Macintosh, Bill Kidd, Dave Thompson, Jamie Hepburn, Sandra White, Ian McKee, Hugh O’Donnell, Tricia Marwick, Aileen Campbell, Linda Fabiani, Robin Harper, Bill Wilson, Stuart McMillan, Maureen Watt, Angela Constance, Christina McKelvie, Hugh Henry, Anne McLaughlin, Joe FitzPatrick, Kenneth Gibson, Nigel Don, Alasdair Morgan, Willie Coffey, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Alasdair Allan, Bob Doris, Christopher Harvie, Christine Grahame, Trish Godman

S3M-5366 Pauline McNeill: Congratulations to Artist Richard Wright—That the Parliament warmly congratulates Glasgow-based artist Richard Wright on winning the Turner Prize, the prestigious award for contemporary art, and notes that three other Scotland-based artists, Simon Starling, Douglas Gordon and Martin Creed, have recently won the prize and that Lucy Skaert, another Scotland-based artist, was also nominated, showing that Scotland is making a notable contribution to contemporary art.

Supported by: Jack McConnell, Karen Whitefield, Linda Fabiani

S3M-5364 Gil Paterson: Funds for Children’s Hospice—That the Parliament congratulates West Dunbartonshire Council and, in particular, Provost Denis Agnew for hosting a very successful full house event in Clydebank Town Hall on the theme of Robert Burns’ Birthday and Homecoming Scotland, which involved contributions from many local groups and at which money was raised for Robin House children’s hospice in Balloch.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Alasdair Allan, Bill Kidd, Stewart Maxwell, Brian Adam, Bill Wilson, Jackie Baillie, Jamie Hepburn, Stuart McMillan, Anne McLaughlin, Aileen Campbell, Sandra White, Christina McKelvie, Michael Matheson, Angela Constance

S3M-5363 Gil Paterson: Nuclear Waste at Dounreay, Now You See It, Now You Don’t—That the Parliament calls on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the nuclear regulator, to fully investigate the circumstances surrounding the reappearance of part of the 170kg of enriched uranium that was first reported as being lost and then reported as an accountancy error in that the material was not missing but never existed in the first place; further calls for those in authority who are responsible for public announcements on decommissioning at Dounreay to stop spinning stories after the fact that infer that highly enriched uranium, which is not accounted for nor can be found, is in any event safe, and expects them to clean up not only nuclear waste but also their public announcements.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Christopher Harvie, Bill Kidd, Joe FitzPatrick, Brian Adam, Bill Wilson, Robin Harper, Jamie Hepburn, Stuart McMillan, Sandra White, Christina McKelvie, Michael Matheson, Christine Grahame, Angela Constance, Dave Thompson

S3M-5362 Iain Smith: Toward a Royal Bank of Sustainability—That the Parliament notes that, for more than a year, the British taxpayer via UK Financial Investments Limited (UKFI) has been the largest shareholder in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS); welcomes the Royal Bank of Sustainability report, published by Friends of the Earth Scotland, Platform, World Development Movement, People and Planet and BankTrack, as an important contribution to the debate on the future of RBS and other bailed-out banks; believes that HM Treasury could play a key role in guiding RBS and the other bailed-out banks away from investments considered environmentally damaging and socially destructive, such as tar-sands, and toward more ethical investments urgently needed by Scotland and the United Kingdom; considers the business case for reorienting RBS’s strategy to be strong and sound; believes that, by acting as responsible owners, HM Treasury and UKFI can begin turning the bank into a powerhouse for renewables and decarbonisation, which would be good for the economy as well as the climate; encourages the Chancellor of the Exchequer to require UKFI to incorporate the highest social and environmental standards into its investment mandate, ownership policies and practices, and calls on the UKFI to demand full disclosure by publicly supported banks on the impacts of their investments on communities, workers and the environment.

Supported by: Mike Pringle, Jamie Hepburn, Michael McMahon, Aileen Campbell, Rob Gibson, Patrick Harvie, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5361 Claire Baker: 11 December 2009, Day of Action on Student Hardship—That the Parliament supports the National Union of Students in its efforts to highlight student hardship through a national day of action on the 11 December 2009; notes the events and action organised by student associations at universities and colleges across Scotland, including associations at Edinburgh Napier University, the University of Edinburgh, Inverness UHI College, James Watt College, Glasgow Metropolitan College, the Univeristy of Aberdeen and Aberdeen College, undertaking such activities as writing letters and petitions at the University of Stirling and a petition to Alex Salmond MSP from Banff and Buchan College; believes that this action signals that hardship remains a significant issue for students in Scotland; considers that the Scottish Government has broken its promise to dump the debt; believes that student hardship is a key factor in forcing students from lower-income backgrounds into commercial debt, to spend more than the guideline number of hours in part-time work recommended by the Cubie report or to drop out of their studies altogether; considers that opposition parties have been successful in directing the £30 million made available by the Scottish Government for student support toward putting more pounds in student pockets; remains concerned that, despite these efforts, poorer students still receive less financial support than those in the rest of the UK, and urges the Scottish Government to address this inequality.

Supported by: Marlyn Glen, James Kelly, Mary Mulligan, Margaret Curran, Lewis Macdonald, Des McNulty, Patricia Ferguson, Jackie Baillie, Karen Whitefield, Dr Richard Simpson, John Park, Rhona Brankin, George Foulkes, Trish Godman, Elaine Murray, Mr Frank McAveety, Rhoda Grant, Hugh Henry, Cathie Craigie, David Stewart, Marilyn Livingstone, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5360 Ian McKee: Berlusconi Ignores Political Reality in Belarus—That the Parliament expresses deep concern at the remarks of the Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, during an official visit to Belarus on 30 November 2009 during which he stated that President Alyaksandr Lukashenka was loved by his own people, as outlined by his clear successive electoral victories; believes that such statements contradict reality in a country branded the last dictatorship in Europe; notes that the political situation in Belarus has been condemned by the European Union for its poor record on human rights and respect for minorities, lack of freedom of the press and for failing to organise transparent elections; further notes that Silvio Berlusconi is the first EU leader in over a decade to visit Belarus, and believes that the Italian leader has failed to promote EU values of democracy, liberty and freedom in a country suppressed by dictatorship.

Supported by: Bill Wilson, Bill Kidd, Rob Gibson, Patrick Harvie, Gil Paterson, Jamie Hepburn

S3M-5359# Ian McKee: The Bike Station Makes Climate Change a Local Challenge—That the Parliament congratulates The Bike Station, Edinburgh’s bicycle recycling and cycling promotion charity, for its continued work in championing active travel; notes that the charity promotes cycling as a healthy and sustainable means of transport across Edinburgh and the Lothians and works to support people to start and keep cycling while assisting other organisations to promote cycling and bike maintenance skills; further notes that the charity has recently been awarded funding from the Scottish Government Climate Challenge Fund to take on the 80-40-20 challenge, aimed at encouraging commuters to leave their cars at home and use public transport or take up cycling; considers that the project will help reduce carbon gas emissions as well as improving the general health of people in the region; congratulates the charity’s manager, Mark Sydenham, for taking on the challenge, and wishes the project every success in getting the people of Edinburgh to take local and concrete action to fight climate change.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Robin Harper, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Rob Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Jim Tolson, Des McNulty, Aileen Campbell, Gil Paterson, David Stewart, Cathy Peattie, Joe FitzPatrick

S3M-5358 Liam McArthur: Orcadian Beauty Therapist Shortlisted for Skills Development Award—That the Parliament notes that Amanda Mainland from Orkney has been shortlisted for a Skills Development Scotland Modern Apprentice of the Year award after studying for two years for her modern apprenticeship in beauty therapy at Thurso’s North Highland College; further notes that she now owns and runs the Solveig Health and Beauty salon in Kirkwall, where she encourages two of her own employees to follow her example and do a modern apprenticeship; congratulates Amanda and the other shortlisted finalists for their success, and wishes them all the best for the awards ceremony to be held on 9 December 2009 in Glasgow, at which the winner will be announced.

Supported by: Rhoda Grant, David Stewart

S3M-5357 Nanette Milne: Young Carers—That the Parliament congratulates the Aberdeen Young Carers Project on its 10th anniversary; notes that the Chill Out Zone opened in 2002 provides clubs, such as a Homework Club, which enables young carers to be in an environment where they have space to do their homework away from their caring responsibilities; further notes that the Aberdeen Young Carers Project also enables young carers to realise that they are not alone in their caring role; congratulates Mary Drever, Aberdeen Young Carers Project Leader, for her unstinting efforts to support Aberdeen’s young carers, and commends the many young carers in Aberdeen and across Scotland for the selfless care and support that they give to their loved ones all year round.

Supported by: Jim Tolson, John Scott, Bill Aitken, Jamie McGrigor, Ted Brocklebank, John Lamont, Elizabeth Smith, Rob Gibson, Bill Butler, Bill Kidd, Robin Harper, Aileen Campbell, Margaret Mitchell, Brian Adam, Gil Paterson, Murdo Fraser, Karen Whitefield, Hugh Henry, Tom McCabe, Maureen Watt, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5356 Bill Wilson: Kurdish Language Rights in Turkey—That the Parliament, noting the devastating effect of the loss of language and culture on the wellbeing of indigenous peoples the world over, urges the Turkish Government to commit to reforming the ideologies that impede progress toward the respect, protection and fulfilment of the full range of cultural and linguistic rights guaranteed to the Kurdish population in ways that are appropriate to the needs of that population, to honour the provisions of international and regional instruments that guarantee these rights to the Kurds, both as individuals and members of an ethnic and linguistic minority, to consider giving the Kurdish language de facto joint official status in the Kurdish provinces, not to criminalise the peaceful expression of Kurdish cultural and linguistic identity, to maximise the availability of education in Kurdish appropriate to the needs of the Kurdish population by allowing and assisting it to establish and operate Kurdish-medium schools and to implement all legal reforms made pursuant to the Copenhagen political criteria for accession to the European Union in the area of minority rights and also calls on EU institutions to grant accession to Turkey only following an accurate assessment of its fulfilment of these criteria.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Brian Adam, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Ken Macintosh, Aileen Campbell, Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Robert Brown, Robin Harper, Mike Pringle, Stuart McMillan, Hugh O’Donnell, Christopher Harvie, Michael Matheson, Michael McMahon, Willie Coffey, Dr Richard Simpson, Patrick Harvie, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Hugh Henry, Rob Gibson, Jim Hume, Joe FitzPatrick, Anne McLaughlin, Dave Thompson, Linda Fabiani, Elaine Smith*

S3M-5355# Bill Kidd: The Best of the West—That the Parliament congratulates all those honoured in the Evening Times Community Champion Awards, which recognise individuals and teams that are committed to doing outstanding work improving the lives of those in their local communities; congratulates this year’s winners for Glasgow’s west end, including Jimmy Young, who received the Senior award for his service founding a local Neighbourhood Watch scheme, the West End Diversionary Project, which won the Best Team award for its organisation of volunteer-run football and dancing lessons for youngsters, the Dumbarton Road Corridor Peer Education Programme, winner in the Youth Category for its work providing support to fellow students with addiction issues, Allan Hamilton, who won the Individual Public Service award for his work organising fundraising events, refereeing sports matches and acting as chef at Yoker Primary School barbecues, Donald Hewitson, who won an Individual award for his development of the We Step Together group, which supports adults with learning disabilities and the Drumchapel Citizens Advice Bureau, which won the Best Public Service Team award, and commends all those nominated for their commitment and dedication to making a meaningful investment in the communities of Glasgow.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Anne McLaughlin, Alasdair Allan, Kenneth Gibson, Rob Gibson, Gil Paterson, Sandra White, Stuart McMillan, Michael Matheson, Aileen Campbell, Jamie Hepburn, Hugh O’Donnell, Christina McKelvie, Angela Constance

S3M-5354 Bill Butler: Congratulations to the West End’s Community Champions—That the Parliament congratulates all those from Glasgow’s west end who took part in this year’s Evening Times Community Champion Awards at Drumchapel Community Centre; commends the Drumchapel Citizens Advice Bureau, Allan Hamilton, the West End Diversionary Project, the Dumbarton Road Corridor Peer Education Programme, Donald Hewitson and Jimmy Young on their awards; recognises the outstanding achievements of all those who were nominated, and thanks The Evening Times and its partner organisations, Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue and Glasgow City Council, for organising the awards to recognise the outstanding efforts of those who work throughout the year to make Glasgow such a fine city.

Supported by: Pauline McNeill, Patricia Ferguson, Bob Doris, Jackie Baillie, Paul Martin, Mr Frank McAveety, Cathy Jamieson, Karen Whitefield, Cathy Peattie, Helen Eadie, Robert Brown, Gil Paterson, George Foulkes, Sandra White, Robin Harper, Trish Godman, David Whitton, Bill Kidd, James Kelly, Hugh Henry, David Stewart

S3M-5353 Robert Brown: Success of Scottish Scouting—That the Parliament congratulates the Scout movement on another successful year delivering an exciting and adventurous programme to young people in almost 600 local Scout groups across Scotland; commends the dedication and hard work of the volunteers who support the movement; is greatly encouraged by the increase in membership numbers for a third consecutive year, including a 12% rise in female youth members, and believes that, with almost 37,000 members across the country, Scottish Scouting makes a huge contribution not only to the young people involved but also to communities around Scotland as a whole.

Supported by: Aileen Campbell, Des McNulty, Bill Wilson, John Wilson, Sandra White, Cathy Jamieson, Kenneth Gibson, Ken Macintosh, Bill Kidd, Ross Finnie, Mike Pringle, Elaine Smith, Stuart McMillan, Bill Butler, David Whitton, Pauline McNeill, Trish Godman, Jackie Baillie, Jim Tolson, Karen Whitefield, Nanette Milne, Liam McArthur, Hugh O’Donnell, Richard Baker, Gil Paterson, Jamie Hepburn, Peter Peacock, Rhoda Grant, Hugh Henry, Cathie Craigie, David Stewart, Linda Fabiani

S3M-5352# Joe FitzPatrick: The Need for Nuclear Power—That the Parliament welcomes the intervention in the Dundee-based The Courier by Bailie George Regan, Chair of Nuclear Free Local Authorities, to the debate on the future of Scotland’s energy needs; considers that his opinion reflects the will of the people and the Parliament that Scotland’s future energy needs lie in renewables rather than nuclear power, and believes that the massive government subsidies that are earmarked for new nuclear power stations in the UK would be of greater benefit to the research and development of renewable technologies.

Supported by: Marlyn Glen, Brian Adam, Anne McLaughlin, Robin Harper, Bill Kidd, Bill Wilson, Bob Doris, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Rob Gibson, Jamie Hepburn, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Aileen Campbell, Sandra White, Christina McKelvie, Linda Fabiani, Angela Constance

S3M-5351♦ Linda Fabiani: South Lanarkshire College Unveils Aurora House, a First in Scotland—That the Parliament welcomes the official opening by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth of Scotland’s first affordable, low-energy, low-carbon house at South Lanarkshire College in East Kilbride; notes that the Aurora house has an A-rated energy certificate, a heat recovery system, thermal energy pumps and the capacity to create more electricity than it uses; congratulates South Lanarkshire College, the Scottish construction company, Dawn Homes, and the other project partners for conceiving and building the Aurora; notes that the house will be used as a training facility for students and apprentices aiming to work in the construction industry, and believes that this flagship project gives Scotland the potential to become a world-leader in building a new generation of affordable low-carbon homes, helping to both combat climate change and address fuel poverty.

Supported by: Michael Matheson, Jamie Hepburn, Alasdair Allan, Joe FitzPatrick, Kenneth Gibson, Aileen Campbell, Anne McLaughlin, Bill Kidd, John Wilson, Bob Doris, Rob Gibson, Maureen Watt, Christina McKelvie, Stewart Maxwell, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Nigel Don, Angela Constance, Dave Thompson

S3M-5350 Margaret Curran: Easterhouse Housing and Regeneration Alliance—That the Parliament notes the formation of the Easterhouse Housing and Regeneration Alliance; congratulates it on the launch of the document, Strengthening Fragile Communities: Community Based Housing Associations in Easterhouse; notes the success of the community-based housing movement in the Greater Easterhouse area in providing good-quality housing stock as well as assistance with broader community regeneration, and further notes the key elements of its success, including the promotion of safe, attractive and sustainable communities in which to live.

Supported by: Rhona Brankin, Mr Frank McAveety, Robert Brown, Robin Harper, Karen Whitefield, Claire Baker, David Stewart, Patricia Ferguson, Cathy Jamieson, Jackie Baillie, Pauline McNeill, Marilyn Livingstone, Paul Martin, Trish Godman, Mary Mulligan, James Kelly, Hugh O’Donnell, Jack McConnell

S3M-5349 Margaret Curran: Barry Linning Recognised at Glasgow Community Champion Awards—That the Parliament congratulates Barry Linning for winning the Senior award for voluntary work in the community of Garrowhill at the Glasgow Community Champion Awards, held at the Bridge in Easterhouse; recognises that Mr Linning, aged 64, has dedicated the last 39 years of his life to the community of Garrowhill as a committed volunteer in roles such as president of Garrowhill Horticultural Association and roads convenor for Garrowhill Community Council; acknowledges that his most recent community project involved a team working together, gardening and landscaping five streets in Garrowhill as well as an area in Garrowhill Park, and notes that this responsibility was officially handed over to Mr Linning and his team by Glasgow City Council as formal acknowledgement of the commitment and dedication that Mr Linning has for the local community.

Supported by: Hugh Henry, Cathy Jamieson, Helen Eadie, Karen Gillon, Jackie Baillie, Claire Baker, Bill Kidd, Mr Frank McAveety, Bob Doris, Pauline McNeill, Marilyn Livingstone, Trish Godman, Mary Mulligan, James Kelly, David Stewart

S3M-5348 Shirley-Anne Somerville: Congratulations to Forbes Nursery—That the Parliament congratulates Forbes Nursery on its recent award-winning success; notes that Sara Breignan won Nursery Nurse of the Year at the Nursery World Magazine Awards and Sonya Stewart was a finalist in the Food of the Year category; further notes that Forbes Nursery was a finalist for Green Nursery of the Year and Kirsty Simpson won Personality of the Year at the New Management Today Nursery Awards 2009; recognises that Forbes is a family-run nursery, now in its 14th year, based in Leith Links and Bruntsfield, and highlights that these awards are a tribute to the staff, children and parents of the nursery and their achievements of the last year, including raising £1,000 to be divided between Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children and a children’s home in Nepal.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Bill Kidd, Bob Doris, Kenneth Gibson, Robin Harper, Aileen Campbell, Ian McKee, Gil Paterson, Jamie Hepburn, Angela Constance

S3M-5347 Joe FitzPatrick: Student Funding—That the Parliament notes with caution the work of Universities UK and its report, Changing Landscapes: future scenarios for variable tuition fees, in particular its model that tuition fees in England should be increased further; notes that this has been met with concern by some student groups, and reiterates a commitment to free education in Scotland.

Supported by: Michael Matheson, Robin Harper, Bill Kidd, Brian Adam, Bob Doris, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Aileen Campbell, Rob Gibson, Jamie Hepburn, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Sandra White, Christina McKelvie, Kenneth Gibson

S3M-5346 Murdo Fraser: ProjectScotland Voscars 2009—That the Parliament congratulates all of the winners of the 2009 Voscars, ProjectScotland’s annual awards ceremony that showcases and celebrates young volunteers who have made a real contribution to their communities across Scotland; congratulates Ryan Glen on becoming ProjectScotland Volunteer of the Year, Kimby Tosh for her ProjectScotland Outstanding Achievement Award and Elizabeth Baillie, Jason Douglas, Zoe Jones, Jenna MacGregor, Laura Meikle, Euan Reid, Andy Sloss, James Wallace and Toni Walton on their respective awards and commendations, as well as Frank Miller on becoming ProjectScotland Mentor of the Year and Denise Millan for being a Commended Mentor; believes that it is important that our young people have the opportunity to volunteer and develop real skills through their experience as well as giving something back to the community; commends ProjectScotland on its work to connect young people with volunteer organisations, and praises the organisation for holding the Voscars awards to highlight the good work that young volunteers carry out in Scotland’s communities.

Supported by: Jack McConnell, Hugh Henry, Bill Butler, Nanette Milne, Jackie Baillie, Bill Aitken, Claire Baker, Patricia Ferguson, Elaine Smith, Alex Johnstone, Jackson Carlaw, Robin Harper, Mary Scanlon, Mr Frank McAveety, Ms Wendy Alexander, John Park, Gil Paterson, Marlyn Glen, Helen Eadie, Trish Godman, Mary Mulligan, Dr Richard Simpson, Sarah Boyack, Jamie McGrigor, Ted Brocklebank, James Kelly, Margaret Mitchell, Karen Whitefield, Peter Peacock, Hugh O’Donnell

S3M-5345 Cathy Peattie: Carers Rights Day—That the Parliament notes and welcomes Carers Rights Day, which falls on Friday 4 December, and acknowledges and values the substantial contribution made by over 600,000 unpaid carers and young carers across Scotland; welcomes the practical and emotional support provided by the Falkirk Carers Centre and the network of Princess Royal Trust for Carers Centres across Scotland that have worked with over 50,000 carers in 2008-09; notes that the Carers Centres are critical to the implementation of the Scottish Government’s carers strategy, but are facing significant funding challenges; is concerned that there is no commitment to additional resources to support the implementation of the new carers strategy; believes that the work being done to develop the new strategy should take forward the action highlighted in the Care 21 report relating to respite and short breaks, training for carers, access to information for carers and the specific needs of young carers, and believes that the strategy should lead to real action that benefits Scotland’s unpaid carers, ensuring clear accountability for service delivery and improvements that enable carers to continue caring with confidence and to have a quality life outside of that caring role.

Supported by: Jack McConnell, Elaine Murray, Charlie Gordon, Johann Lamont, Bill Butler, Jackie Baillie, Marlyn Glen, David Stewart, Patricia Ferguson, Pauline McNeill, Cathie Craigie, John Park, Mr Frank McAveety, Gil Paterson, Ms Wendy Alexander, Claire Baker, Robin Harper, Trish Godman, Mary Mulligan, Dr Richard Simpson, Liam McArthur, Ken Macintosh, Irene Oldfather, Ross Finnie, Karen Whitefield, Hugh O’Donnell, Rhoda Grant, Hugh Henry, Tom McCabe

S3M-5344 John Farquhar Munro: Landowners Preventing Crofters’ Right to Buy—That the Parliament notes with concern increasing reports of landowners preventing crofters from buying their land by escalating the cost of the legal process through the Scottish Land Court and asks the Scottish Government to investigate this as a matter of urgency with a view to introducing measures to stop this practice by simplifying the right-to-buy process in the upcoming crofting legislation.

Supported by: Peter Peacock, Rhoda Grant

S3M-5343 John Farquhar Munro: Landowners Forcing Unreasonable Rent Demands on Tenant Farmers—That the Parliament is concerned that the high cost of the legal process that has to be followed to challenge large rent increases imposed by landowners and land agents is forcing agricultural tenants to accept intolerable rent increases that they can ill afford and calls on the Scottish Government to investigate changing the law to provide an affordable and practical system that allows rent disputes to be handled without excessive legal costs.

Supported by: Rhoda Grant

S3M-5342 John Farquhar Munro: Landowners Preventing Tenant Farmers’ Right to Buy:—That the Parliament notes with concern reports that landowners and land agents are using protracted and expensive legal devices to make it very difficult for agricultural tenants to exercise their right to buy their farms; believes that in doing so landowners and land agents are subverting the will of the Parliament as expressed in the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003, and calls on the Scottish Government to investigate the possibility of introducing measures to stop the use of protracted devices by landowners and land agents to hamper tenants’ right to buy their farms.

Supported by: Rhoda Grant

S3M-5341 Murdo Fraser: Protest at Celtic Park—That the Parliament is shocked and appalled by the actions of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) in calling on Celtic supporters attending the match against Hapoel Tel Aviv at Celtic Park on 2 December 2009 to wave Palestinian flags; welcomes the comments of Celtic Football Club that the safety of supporters may be compromised and that "a crowded football match is not the place for a public demonstration"; condemns the STUC for attempting to politicise a sporting event in this way, which is likely to fuel division, sectarianism and, potentially, violence, and calls on the STUC to issue an apology to Celtic Football Club and Hapoel Tel Aviv for its disgraceful behaviour.

Supported by: Ted Brocklebank, David McLetchie, Jamie McGrigor, John Lamont, Mary Scanlon, Jackson Carlaw

S3M-5340 Robert Brown: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery—That the Parliament recognises the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on 2 December 2009, which recalls the date of the adoption in 1949 by the United Nations General Assembly of the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others; notes with sadness that, on the 60th anniversary of the adoption, women and children are still being trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation across the world; welcomes the ratification by the United Kingdom of the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Beings but regrets that there is still only limited involvement of key voluntary sector agencies in identification and support of such women; further notes the potential conflict between the UK Border Agency asylum processes and the 45-day reflection period, and urges the Scottish Government to work with all relevant agencies to identify, support and safeguard those who are trafficked into Scotland for commercial sexual exploitation, particularly given the potential increase in demand for prostitution that could occur in the lead-up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Linda Fabiani, Jim Hume, Mr Frank McAveety, Bill Butler, Mike Pringle, Jackie Baillie, Ms Wendy Alexander, Patrick Harvie, Gil Paterson, Marlyn Glen, Hugh O’Donnell, Robin Harper, Dr Richard Simpson, Liam McArthur, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Elaine Smith, Ross Finnie, Bill Kidd, Christina McKelvie, Angela Constance, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5339 Jim Mather: The Draft Census (Scotland) Order 2010—That the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee recommends that the draft Census (Scotland) Order 2010 be approved.

Supported by: John Swinney

S3M-5337 Tricia Marwick: East Fife Mail and Glenrothes Gazette Shoebox Appeal—That the Parliament congratulates both the East Fife Mail and Glenrothes Gazette on their Shoebox Appeal; notes that, between them, the two newspapers have received more than 1,500 shoeboxes filled with treats for soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan, and praises the people of Glenrothes and Levenmouth for their generosity in supporting such an initiative.

Supported by: Claire Baker, Rob Gibson, Brian Adam, Stewart Maxwell, Elizabeth Smith, Nanette Milne, Aileen Campbell, Christina McKelvie, Kenneth Gibson, Gil Paterson, Alasdair Allan, John Park, Ted Brocklebank, Bill Kidd, Mary Mulligan, Jamie Hepburn, Sandra White, Dr Richard Simpson, Angela Constance, Stuart McMillan

S3M-5336# Des McNulty: St Margaret of Scotland Hospice—That the Parliament notes with deep concern the decision of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to remove the funding for 30 continuing care beds from the St Margaret of Scotland Hospice in Clydebank by 2013, which will impact adversely on the service model provided by the hospice’s dedicated staff as well as on the hospice’s finances; notes that this decision came immediately after an inspection by the Care Commission that rated provision at the St Margaret of Scotland Hospice as being excellent on every indicator, and believes that the approach adopted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in its dealings with the hospice is unacceptable.

Supported by: Jack McConnell, Gil Paterson, Ross Finnie, Hugh O’Donnell, Pauline McNeill, Rhona Brankin, Dr Richard Simpson, Elaine Smith, Michael McMahon, Jackie Baillie, David Whitton, Robin Harper, Margaret Curran, Karen Whitefield, James Kelly, Trish Godman, John Park, Stuart McMillan, Malcolm Chisholm, Mary Mulligan, Hugh Henry, Jackson Carlaw, Robert Brown, Tom McCabe, David Stewart, Marilyn Livingstone

S3M-5333 Des McNulty: Congratulations to Neil Kinnock—That the Parliament welcomes the decision of Glasgow Caledonian University to award an honorary degree to Neil Kinnock, former European Commissioner and leader of the Labour Party, in recognition of Mr Kinnock’s outstanding contribution as a politician, statesman and champion of increased educational opportunities for those previously denied them. R R

Supported by: Jack McConnell, Malcolm Chisholm, Rhona Brankin, Jackie Baillie, Michael McMahon, Dr Richard Simpson, David Whitton, John Park, Robin Harper, Karen Whitefield, James Kelly, Trish Godman, Elaine Murray, Mary Mulligan, Helen Eadie, Mr Frank McAveety, Peter Peacock, Rhoda Grant, Andy Kerr, David Stewart, Marilyn Livingstone

S3M-5332♦ Johann Lamont: Big Lottery Fund, Tackling Need in Scotland—That the Parliament notes the announcement by the Big Lottery Fund that it will spend £400 million in Scotland in the next five years; welcomes the fact that the Big Lottery Fund will now have £50 million more to commit to projects next year than expected; recognises that this increased resource, directed to tackle need and disadvantage in the Glasgow Pollok constituency, across Glasgow and throughout Scotland, represents a great opportunity to challenge inequality, and would welcome a clear link between spending decisions on this lottery windfall and the commitment given by Scottish Ministers in Scottish Policy Directions for 2009-2015 to the Big Lottery Fund "to address the priorities of tackling disadvantage, the advancement of well-being and addressing inequalities".

Supported by: Mr Frank McAveety, David Whitton, Helen Eadie, Hugh Henry, Rhoda Grant, Jackie Baillie, Claire Baker, Pauline McNeill, Trish Godman, Mary Mulligan, Elaine Murray, James Kelly, Karen Whitefield, David Stewart

S3M-5331♦ Sarah Boyack: National Eligibility Criteria for Adult Social Care—That the Parliament notes with concern the contents of the draft guidelines, National Eligibility for Adult Social Care and Waiting Times for Personal and Nursing Care, which it considers will have an adverse impact on preventative services for disabled adults; notes the problems that have been experienced by disabled adults in accessing support services in Edinburgh; is concerned that the guidelines are based on the current working practices of many local authorities across Scotland, which were themselves based on the UK Government’s Fair Access to Care Services; notes that Fair Access to Care Services was originally devised to decide the eligibility for support of older people with progressive age-related incapacity and loss of independence and not for disabled adults for whom it considers access to care is about the right to independence, and believes that the needs of adults requiring social care would be better served if there was guidance on free personal and nursing care and new guidance dealing with the community care services provided under different legislation.

Supported by: Hugh Henry, Rhona Brankin, Trish Godman, Cathy Jamieson, Ken Macintosh, Marlyn Glen, Elaine Smith, Jackie Baillie, John Park, George Foulkes, Karen Whitefield, Rhoda Grant, Margo MacDonald, Dr Richard Simpson, David Stewart

S3M-5330 Bill Wilson: Mohammad Othman and Israel’s Use of Administrative Detention as a Substitute for Prosecution—That the Parliament, further to motion S3M-05062, notes reports that Israel not only continues to hold Mohammad Othman in administrative detention but has also threatened and pressured him into confessions and that no external evidence was brought to the military court that renewed his detention; understands that international human rights organisations and the United Nations have repeatedly condemned Israel’s recourse to military justice systems that do not meet international standards of due process, and condemns Israel for this and other breaches of human rights, believing that such actions do nothing to make the people of Israel safer in the long term but rather serve to perpetuate that country’s troubles.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Gil Paterson, Malcolm Chisholm, Jackie Baillie, Elaine Smith, Jim Hume, Dave Thompson, Sandra White, Marlyn Glen, Mike Pringle, Patrick Harvie, Hugh O’Donnell

S3M-5329 Elaine Smith: Working towards a Shared Future—That the Parliament notes the publication of the report, "Sectarianism" and the Workplace, by the STUC, which found evidence that sectarianism persists in the Scottish workplace; believes that the report highlights the enduring prevalence of sectarian attitudes in Scotland; acknowledges the importance of challenging attitudes early on by engaging with young people to ensure that they enter the workplace with a better understanding of the issue of sectarianism in Scotland; welcomes projects such as the Community Youth Rugby Initiative in the Coatbridge area, supported by Sense Over Sectarianism, which seeks to challenge sectarianism through rugby by engaging children from seven local secondary schools in composite school teams; notes that the initiative also includes a structured programme that seeks to impact on religious intolerance and racism and recognise and respect diversity within the community; further notes that the initiative currently has 300 participants, with numbers expected to double within a year; commends work by the summer holiday project for primary seven pupils from Coatbridge and Airdrie delivered by Albion Rovers Football Club, Strathclyde Police, beCogent and Sense Over Sectarianism that sought to challenge attitudes among primary school-age children; recognises the potential impact that projects targeted at primary and secondary pupils could have in shaping societal attitudes in the future, thus eroding the persistence of sectarianism in the workplace in the long term; realises that Scotland still faces a number of complex challenges in highlighting sectarianism in communities and workplaces, and considers that these challenges are best met via a vigorous, zero-tolerance approach from the Scottish Government and other relevant stakeholders.

Supported by: Rhona Brankin, Karen Whitefield, Hugh Henry, Patricia Ferguson, Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, Gil Paterson, John Park, Marilyn Livingstone, Liam McArthur, Elaine Murray, Dr Richard Simpson, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart, Richard Baker, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5327 John Park: Shipweld 2009—That the Parliament congratulates the Rosyth-based Babcock apprentices, Ryan Rice and Liam McBride, on winning the 2009 Shipweld best yard competition held at Barrow on 12 November 2009; notes that the competition featured yards from across the United Kingdom, including Portsmouth, the Clyde and Barrow; further notes that entrants faced a series of craft challenges designed to test key welding requirements for the manufacture of surface and subsurface vessels; recognises the skills and techniques demonstrated by all the apprentice welders in the competition; welcomes the Shipweld competition’s contribution to promoting skills development and safe working practices, and looks forward to further success for Scottish apprentices in future competitions.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Sarah Boyack, Elizabeth Smith, Nanette Milne, Mary Mulligan, David Stewart, Stuart McMillan, Kenneth Gibson, George Foulkes, Bill Wilson, Cathy Jamieson, Des McNulty, Aileen Campbell, Bill Kidd, James Kelly, David Whitton, Trish Godman, Dr Richard Simpson, Jackie Baillie, Michael McMahon, Jim Tolson, Gil Paterson, Karen Whitefield, Hugh Henry, Rhona Brankin, Marilyn Livingstone, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5320 Michael Matheson: Falkirk Council Cuts Arts Again—That the Parliament regrets the decision by the Labour/Tory-led administration of Falkirk Council to scrap the Big in Falkirk festival; believes that this decision is short-sighted; acknowledges the work of the people of Falkirk in making Big in Falkirk Scotland’s national street festival over the last 10 years, and also considers that this decision, together with the closure of the Park Gallery, does not help Falkirk’s reputation as a friend of the arts.

Supported by: Rob Gibson, Bob Doris, Aileen Campbell, Christina McKelvie, Jamie Hepburn, John Wilson, Bill Kidd, Gil Paterson, Stuart McMillan, Sandra White, Christine Grahame, Angela Constance

S3M-5319 Cathy Jamieson: Bill Shankly, Glenbuck’s Most Famous Son—That the Parliament wishes to pay tribute to the late Bill Shankly on the 50th anniversary of his appointment as manager of Liverpool FC, where he took the team from the old second division to win three league championships, two FA Cups and the UEFA Cup; notes that he began his career with the famous Glenbuck Cherrypickers, whose record in producing 50 professional footballers from a mining village with a population of only 1,000 people is unequalled in world football, and commends Bill Shankly’s assertion that "The socialism I believe in is everyone working for each other, everyone having a share of the rewards. It’s the way I see football, the way I see life."

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart

S3M-5318 Rob Gibson: Forres Pies are World’s Best—That the Parliament congratulates Murdoch Brothers Butchers on its success in the 2010 World Scotch Pie Championships; commends the Forres-based butcher shop in beating out 85 other entrants to earn the title of World Scotch Pie Champions while also taking home the bronze medal for its pork pie and gold medal for its steak pie, and recognises the continued excellence of Murdoch Brothers, a family company dating back three generations, and the world-class quality of its 40-year-old original family recipe, still in use today.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Stewart Maxwell, Jamie McGrigor, Patrick Harvie, Brian Adam, Alex Johnstone, Jamie Stone, Bob Doris, Jamie Hepburn, Maureen Watt, Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd, Mary Scanlon, Gil Paterson, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart

S3M-5317 Alasdair Allan: Western Isles Winners from Scottish Traditional Music Awards—That the Parliament congratulates all those who won prizes and who were nominated for prizes in the 2009 Scottish Traditional Music Awards on Saturday 28 November 2009; notes in particular the success of those winners with Western Isles connections, including The Hebridean Celtic Festival, which won the title of Event of the Year, Christine Primrose, originally from Carloway, Lewis, who was voted Gaelic Singer of the Year, Bodega, whose lead singer, Norrie MacIver, is also from Carloway, Lewis, who won Scottish Folk Band of the Year, legendary, and now reformed, Gaelic folk group Na h-Oganaich, who have been inducted into the Hands up for Trad Hall of Fame, and lastly South Uist performer Rona Lightfoot, who was also inducted into the Hall of Fame, and recognises the breadth of talent that currently exists in Scottish traditional music.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Christina McKelvie, Jamie McGrigor, Kenneth Gibson, Rob Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Stewart Maxwell, Bill Kidd, Jackie Baillie, Jamie Hepburn, Gil Paterson, Sandra White, Peter Peacock, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart, Angela Constance

S3M-5316 Alasdair Allan: Carloway School, Yellow Pages Recycling Champions for Scotland—That the Parliament congratulates Carloway Primary School from the Isle of Lewis on being named Yellow Pages Recycling Champions for Scotland 2009 after coming first in the small schools category; recognises that the school’s 26 pupils recycled 566 old Yellow Pages directories between them when the new ones were delivered last year; also notes that Shelibost Primary School from the Isle of Harris was runner-up in the small schools category after recycling 17 old Yellow Pages directories per pupil, and welcomes the recognition that was given to the recycling efforts and achievements of all of the schools that took part in this huge environmental competition and challenge.

Supported by: Jamie McGrigor, Christina McKelvie, Bob Doris, Rob Gibson, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Mary Scanlon, Jackie Baillie, Jamie Hepburn, Gil Paterson, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart, Angela Constance

S3M-5315 Gil Paterson: Trading away Human Rights—That the Parliament is concerned that any free trade agreement entered into by the European Union and Colombia would be a step in the wrong direction for those who have suffered or are suffering human rights abuses in Colombia; calls on the European Union to follow the lead of the United States of America by refusing a free trade agreement with Colombia until the human rights record is up to an acceptable standard, and further calls on the European Union to put pressure on Colombia to clean up its act on human rights and refuse any agreement that is not endorsed by Colombian civil society.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Patrick Harvie, Jamie Hepburn, Aileen Campbell, Bill Wilson, Bill Kidd, Sandra White, Des McNulty, Hugh O’Donnell, Ian McKee, Elaine Smith

S3M-5315.1 John Park: Trading away Human Rights—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5315) in the name of Gil Paterson, insert at end "; notes the work of the Justice for Colombia campaign, a non-governmental organisation founded by trade unionists in 2002, which is supported by the TUC and campaigns for human rights, workers’ rights and peace with social justice in Colombia; further notes that Justice for Colombia is campaigning to stop the EU-Colombia Free Trade Agreement; commends the activity undertaken by trade unions across the United Kingdom to support trade unionists, political prisoners and the Colombian people, and looks forward to greater awareness of and support for the Justice for Colombia campaign."

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Bill Kidd, Bill Butler, Jackie Baillie, Des McNulty, David Stewart, Marlyn Glen, Dr Richard Simpson, Bill Wilson, Rhona Brankin, Mary Mulligan, David Whitton, Elaine Smith, Hugh O’Donnell, Mr Frank McAveety, Sandra White, Gil Paterson, Hugh Henry

S3M-5314 Dave Thompson: Portree High Wins BT Scotland Debate—That the Parliament congratulates Portree High School on its victory in the finals of the 2009 BT Scotland National Gaelic Schools Debate competition held in the Scottish Parliament on 25 November 2009; notes that Portree, represented by Anna MacMullan and Eilidh Robertson, prevailed over Bishopbriggs Academy in a competition that featured impressive efforts and talent by all of the competitors, and, finally, commends all participants in the final and preceding heats for their excellent knowledge of the subject and effective delivery of their case in each debate.

Àrdsgoil Port Rìgh a’ Buannachd Deasbad BT Alba

Gu bheil a’ phàrlamaid a cuir meal an naidheachd dhan Àrdsgoil Port Righ air a’ bhuaidh aca anns a’ chuairt mu dheireadh dhen fairpais deasbad BT Alba 2009 a bha air chumail anns Phàrlamaid na h-Alba air 25mh an t-Samhain 2009; a’ dèan nòta gun do rinn Port Rìgh, a bha air riochachadh leis Anna Nic am Muileann agus Eilidh NicDhonnchaidh, a’ bhuaidh air Acadamaidh Drochaid an Easbaig ann am farpais a bha a’ comharradh oidhirpean drùiteach agus comasach bhon co-fharpaiseachan air fad, agus mu dheireach a’ moladh gach com-pàirtiche anns a’ chuairt mu dheireach agus na cuairtean ron sin airson an sar-eòlas aca air gach cuspair agus airson labhairt comasach dhen cùis aca anns gach deasbad.

Supported by: Gil Paterson, Jamie McGrigor, Alasdair Allan, Rob Gibson, Mary Scanlon, Bill Kidd, Ken Macintosh, Aileen Campbell, Jamie Hepburn, Peter Peacock, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart

S3M-5312 John Park: Relay for Life in Fife 2009—That the Parliament notes once again the fantastic success of Cancer Research UK in its 24-hour Relay for Life in Dalgety Bay in July 2009; welcomes the third annual fundraising event and congratulates all who took part and helped raise a final amount of over £67,000; further congratulates the efforts of committee members, team captains and all who supported the event from businesses and the local community; is delighted that organisers were able to visit the Parliament to celebrate their achievement, and looks forward to future Relay for Life events to support the progress being made in cancer treatment, diagnosis and prevention across Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, Elaine Smith, Bill Kidd, Aileen Campbell, John Lamont, Kenneth Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Christina McKelvie, Paul Martin, Mary Mulligan, Malcolm Chisholm, Gil Paterson, Jamie McGrigor, Hugh Henry, Cathy Jamieson, Jim Tolson, Jackie Baillie, Johann Lamont, Helen Eadie, Bill Butler, Marilyn Livingstone, Mr Frank McAveety, Claire Baker, Trish Godman, Rhona Brankin, David Stewart

S3M-5311 Stuart McMillan: Energy Suppliers Accused of Breaking Rules Designed to Protect Customers—That the Parliament notes with concern recent media reports that suggest that five energy suppliers have been accused of breaking rules that are designed to protect the poorest customers; notes that the National Housing Federation claims that Scottish Power, British Gas, Scottish and Southern Energy, npower and E.ON breached new licence conditions, which set a cap on how much more pre-paying customers can be charged than those paying by direct debit; believes that this will affect some of the poorest people in society and hit them hardest in their pockets, and therefore urges Ofgem to investigate this as a matter of urgency and rectify this situation as soon as possible.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Bill Kidd, Bill Wilson, Aileen Campbell, Brian Adam, Jamie Hepburn, Anne McLaughlin, Bob Doris, Gil Paterson, Robin Harper, Angela Constance

S3M-5310 Karen Whitefield: Scotland Old and New at Alexander Peden Primary and Nursery—That the Parliament congratulates Alexander Peden Primary and Nursery in Harthill, North Lanarkshire, on its recent sell-out performance, Scotland Old and New; notes that the show, performed on 26 November 2009, covered a wide spectrum of traditional and modern Scottish music and culture, from Donald, Where’s Your Trousers? and Loch Lomond to songs from KT Tunstall and Paolo Nutini, along with an outstanding highland dancing performance from the teaching staff, The Heilan Lassies; further notes that the performance attracted over 500 parents, friends and relatives; welcomes the involvement of the whole school in the performance, from nursery children to P7; commends the hard work and enthusiasm of all staff and pupils involved in making the show a success, and wishes Alexander Peden Primary and Nursery every success in its future performances.

Supported by: Des McNulty, Cathy Jamieson, Elaine Smith, Claire Baker, James Kelly, Jackie Baillie, Trish Godman, Gil Paterson, Marilyn Livingstone, David Stewart

S3M-5309# Hugh Henry: Usdaw Freedom from Fear Campaign—That the Parliament is shocked and horrified that there has been a 78% increase in violence and abuse against Scottish shopworkers over the last three years, according to Retailers Against Crime; believes that further measures need to be taken to deter violence against shopworkers and other workers delivering a service to the public; welcomes the Freedom from Fear campaign organised by the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw), which seeks to make shops and shopping areas safer for staff and customers; recognises that the sale of age-restricted products, especially alcohol, is a frequent flashpoint for verbal abuse, threats and violence against shopworkers; further recognises the difficulties that shopworkers, including in Paisley South, have in policing age-restricted sales and how that can leave them vulnerable, isolated and under threat of prosecution when mistakes are made; considers that there would be benefit in high-profile campaigns that support the Think 25 policy and highlight to youngsters that it is an offence to attempt to buy alcohol under age, and would welcome a partnership approach to the development of strategies to prevent under-age sales rather than sting operations, which seek to prosecute shopworkers.

Supported by: Dr Richard Simpson, Jackie Baillie, Elaine Smith, Mr Frank McAveety, Patrick Harvie, Karen Gillon, Pauline McNeill, Ms Wendy Alexander, Elaine Murray, Cathy Peattie, Paul Martin, Johann Lamont, Mary Mulligan, Karen Whitefield, Cathy Jamieson, Des McNulty, James Kelly, John Park, Bill Butler, Patricia Ferguson, George Foulkes, John Wilson, John Scott, Rhona Brankin, Aileen Campbell, Jamie Hepburn, Bill Wilson, Marilyn Livingstone, Marlyn Glen, Rhoda Grant, Irene Oldfather, David Stewart, Richard Baker, Cathie Craigie, Michael McMahon

S3M-5308 Robert Brown: 10th Anniversary of the Scottish Youth Parliament—That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish Youth Parliament on its 10th anniversary, which will be marked at a reception in the Parliament to be hosted by the Presiding Officer on the evening of Wednesday 2 December 2009; recognises all the work that the Scottish Youth Parliament has undertaken over the past 10 years and continues to undertake in raising the voice of young people in Scotland on issues that are important to them and their communities; welcomes the Scottish Youth Parliament’s vision of a stronger, more inclusive Scotland that empowers young people by truly involving them in the decision-making process; commends the Scottish Parliament and successive Scottish administrations since 1999 for the continuing level of support given to the Scottish Youth Parliament and all of its elected members past and present; hopes that this support will be maintained in the future, and is confident that the Scottish Youth Parliament will continue to grow in strength and success as a powerful enabler of young people in the years to come.

Supported by: Margaret Mitchell, Robin Harper, Dr Richard Simpson, Tavish Scott, Elizabeth Smith, Joe FitzPatrick, Patrick Harvie, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Des McNulty, Stuart McMillan, Jim Hume, Ross Finnie, Marlyn Glen, Andrew Welsh, Bill Kidd, Jackie Baillie, Karen Whitefield, Patricia Ferguson, Maureen Watt, Cathy Jamieson, Bill Butler, Hugh Henry, Jamie Hepburn, Elaine Smith, Jack McConnell, Gil Paterson, Claire Baker, Mary Scanlon, Linda Fabiani, John Park, Liam McArthur, Nicol Stephen, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart, Angela Constance

S3M-5306 Johann Lamont: Support the Cross Out Child Poverty in Scotland Campaign—That the Parliament welcomes the Cross Out Child Poverty in Scotland campaign organised by Glasgow the Caring City; notes the campaign event at Cathcart Conversations on 29 November 2009, which secured support across parties, across faiths and from across Glasgow’s communities; welcomes the Cathcart Statement on Child Poverty, which reads " We, the undersigned believe that Scotland’s children deserve better. We believe that no society can be truly at ease with itself while significant numbers of children live in poverty. We believe that the elimination of child poverty must be a priority for us all - for politicians, community leaders and every member of society. We believe that poverty should be defined more widely than lack of money, that it encompasses a lack of education, of health, of welfare, of self-esteem and of love. We believe that poverty corrodes children’s health, their happiness, their safety and their aspirations. We recognise that children whose lives are blighted by poverty are at higher risk of educational failure. We recognise that a life lived in poverty can lead to a life of drug abuse and exploitation. We believe that only through the elimination of child poverty can we expect the children of Scotland to live their lives to the full, and to be able to enjoy the opportunities that the rest of society take for granted. We, the undersigned, believe the time for change is here." ; supports the aim of the campaign, to end child poverty; believes that this campaign highlights the critical importance at all levels of government of tackling child poverty, which denies too many children the right to a safe and happy childhood and the opportunity to achieve their potential; recognises that a key strength of this campaign is its understanding of the need to reach out beyond government to individuals and families and communities; believes that such unity of purpose can challenge poverty, and believes that signing this statement will show a commitment to the future of all Scotland’s children and a determination to act on their behalf .

Supported by: Margaret Curran, Cathy Jamieson, Malcolm Chisholm, Mary Mulligan, Des McNulty, Stuart McMillan, John Park, Ken Macintosh, Jackie Baillie, Ms Wendy Alexander, Trish Godman, Karen Whitefield, Elaine Smith, Rhona Brankin, Mr Frank McAveety, Karen Gillon, Dr Richard Simpson, Robin Harper, Bob Doris, Robert Brown, Bill Butler, George Foulkes, Patricia Ferguson, Hugh Henry, Jamie Hepburn, Elaine Murray, Gil Paterson, Marilyn Livingstone, Linda Fabiani, Rhoda Grant, Tom McCabe, David Stewart, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5305 Margaret Mitchell: Happy 10th Anniversary, PCG—That the Parliament congratulates the Professional Contractors Group (PCG) on the success of National Freelancers Day, held on 23 November 2009, which marks the 10th anniversary of the organisation; recognises that the PCG is an independent, not-for-profit, professional association with around 20,000 members from a wide range of sectors, including oil and gas, engineering, IT, management consultancy, marketing and telecommunications, many of them living, working and based in Scotland; pays tribute to the estimated £82 billion that the 1.4 million freelance workers contributed to the UK GDP in 2008, which represents an enormous contribution to the Scottish and UK economies; considers that freelancers provide a flexible and expert resource to businesses across a range of sectors, and calls on policymakers at all levels of government to ensure that the interests of Scotland’s freelancers are supported.

Supported by: Jackson Carlaw, Mary Scanlon, Nanette Milne, Bill Aitken, Jamie McGrigor, Michael McMahon, Bill Kidd, Murdo Fraser, Gil Paterson, John Lamont, David McLetchie

S3M-5304 Sarah Boyack: Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of the Year 2009—That the Parliament congratulates the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce on being named UK Chamber of the Year at the British Chambers of Commerce Awards 2009; notes that the judges praised the chamber for the way in which it represents its members, its response to the recession and its management style; further notes that the chamber also came second in the Excellence in International Trade Services category; further notes that two Scottish firms won individual awards for Business of the Year and Excellence in Customer Service; further notes that the awards recognise and celebrate business excellence through the successes and achievements of Accredited Chambers of Commerce and their members, and further congratulates all award winners and runners-up.

Supported by: Mr Frank McAveety, Rhona Brankin, David McLetchie, David Stewart, Gavin Brown, Jackie Baillie, Robin Harper, Dr Richard Simpson, Cathy Jamieson, Karen Whitefield, George Foulkes, Trish Godman, Malcolm Chisholm, Mary Mulligan, Murdo Fraser, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Gil Paterson, John Park

S3M-5303 Margaret Mitchell: 25th Anniversary of the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation, November 2009—That the Parliament congratulates the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation on reaching its 25th anniversary; notes that the foundation aims to increase the health, fitness and wellbeing of women and girls by making physical activity an integral part of their lives; further notes that the foundation seeks to do this through its campaign to make sport as appealing to women and girls as it is to men and boys, make women aware of the importance of being active and encourage women who are fit and healthy to be social and cultural role models, and therefore hopes that initiatives such as the MSP and MP health and fitness programme will raise awareness of this important work.

Supported by: Jamie McGrigor, Jackson Carlaw, Joe FitzPatrick, Bill Aitken, Bob Doris, Nanette Milne, Mike Pringle, Ken Macintosh, John Lamont, Christina McKelvie, Bill Kidd, Trish Godman, Murdo Fraser, Mr Frank McAveety, Jackie Baillie, Jamie Hepburn, Gil Paterson, Rhoda Grant, Angela Constance

S3M-5302 Jamie Hepburn: Cumbernauld Company’s Success in VIBES Awards—That the Parliament congratulates Cumbernauld-based CMS Enviro Systems on winning the Best Management prize for a medium-sized company at the 2009 Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland (VIBES) Awards; notes that the awards recognise best practice among businesses aiming to improve or reduce their impact on the environment while saving money in the process; believes that this award will inspire other businesses in Cumbernauld and across the Central Scotland region to take such steps, and wishes CMS Enviro Systems every success in the future.

Supported by: Patrick Harvie, Alasdair Allan, Bob Doris, Aileen Campbell, Christina McKelvie, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Linda Fabiani, Gil Paterson, Michael Matheson

S3M-5301 Anne McLaughlin: Detention of Children at Eid Al Adha—That the Parliament condemns the deeply insensitive decision to take five Muslim children and their parents into Dungavel Detention Centre two days before Eid Al Adha; considers that it is an outrageous act to detain any asylum-seeker child in such centres; believes that it adds insult to injury to demonstrate such a lack of cultural sensitivity, and urges all political parties in Scotland to continue working together toward cultural harmony and to end the detention of children at Dungavel.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Linda Fabiani, Michael Matheson

S3M-5300 Christopher Harvie: New President of the Council of the European Union—That the Parliament congratulates Herman Van Rompuy, Prime Minister of Belgium, on having been selected as the first permanent President of the Council of the European Union; believes that his was the correct appointment; notes his personal interest in the writings of Scottish novelist and politician John Buchan, and expresses the hope that the European Union will become more effective, less bureaucratic and closer to the European people and that Scotland will, in due course, take its place among the other European nations as an independent member state.

Supported by: Kenneth Gibson, Dave Thompson, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Michael Matheson, Ian McKee

S3M-5299 Mary Mulligan: Congratulations to David Roy MBE—That the Parliament notes that, on Sunday 29 November 2009, Linlithgow Rose Football Club will host a celebration dinner to thank David Roy MBE and mark his 50 years of service as club secretary; considers that this remarkable period of service to the club in the post of club secretary has seen Linlithgow Rose FC develop into one of Scotland’s leading junior football clubs, record on attendance of 3,626 at Prestonfield Park for a match against Petershill in the 1960s and secure a host of honours in the junior game, including winning East Super League in 2004 and 2007 and the Scottish Junior Cup three times, in 1965, 2002 and, most recently, in 2007; notes that David Roy was honoured by Her Majesty the Queen with the award of MBE for his services to junior football in Scotland; joins with the management committee, players and supporters of Linlithgow Rose FC, the people of Linlithgow and the junior football community across Scotland in commending David Roy for his dedication to Linlithgow Rose FC and to football in Scotland generally, and congratulates him on his half century of service to sport.

Supported by: Sarah Boyack, Jackie Baillie, John Park, Angela Constance, James Kelly, Karen Gillon, Karen Whitefield, Bill Kidd, Rhona Brankin, Hugh Henry, Jamie Hepburn, Marilyn Livingstone, Mr Frank McAveety, David Stewart

S3M-5298 Alison McInnes: 10:10—That the Parliament believes that it is vital that Scotland and the United Kingdom demonstrate political leadership in response to the climate crisis, particularly ahead of the United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen (COP15); reaffirms its view that it is vital that COP15 should lead to an international agreement on action that will avert the worst effects of catastrophic climate change; emphasises that action taken now to tackle the climate crisis will cost less than action taken in the future; welcomes the goals of the 10:10 campaign, which calls for a 10% reduction in carbon emissions in 2010; notes that almost 50,000 people, 2,000 businesses, 1,000 schools and colleges and 1,000 other organisations across the UK have already pledged to do their part, and so calls on the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the Scottish Government and all other public sector bodies to make it their policy to reduce their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.

Supported by: Hugh O’Donnell, Jim Tolson, Mike Pringle, Liam McArthur, Iain Smith, Patrick Harvie, Robert Brown, Robin Harper, Nicol Stephen

S3M-5297 Aileen Campbell: Clydesdale Pie Makers are Medal Winners—That the Parliament congratulates William McCafferty Butchers, based in Forth, South Lanarkshire, and Damn Delicious, based in Lanark, on their success in the 2010 World Scotch Pie Championships; notes that Mr McCafferty’s haggis and gravy pie won a gold award in the Hot Savouries category, while his steak pie won a bronze in its category, with Damn Delicious picking up a gold award in the Scotch Pie category and another gold for their steak bake in the Cold Savouries section; believes these latest awards to be further evidence of the culinary excellence to be found in the Clyde Valley, and wishes William McCafferty and Damn Delicious every success in the future.

Supported by: Patrick Harvie, Alasdair Allan, Joe FitzPatrick, Bob Doris, Christina McKelvie, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Jamie Hepburn, Jim Hume

S3M-5296 Bill Kidd: Carer’s Allowance and Attendance Allowance—That the Parliament is concerned at the uncertainty around the future of carer’s allowance, caused by proposals contained in the UK Government’s green paper about the future of adult care in England, Shaping the future of care together, seeking to introduce a change throughout the United Kingdom in order to integrate the proceeds of attendance allowance directly into social care and considers that one of the current qualifying conditions for carer’s allowance is that the carer spend at least 35 hours a week looking after someone receiving attendance allowance and that therefore it is unclear how carers, caring for someone over the age of 65, would in future qualify for carer’s allowance, as a consequence of the proposals to integrate attendance allowance into social care budgets.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Joe FitzPatrick, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Angela Constance, Kenneth Gibson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Brian Adam, Bill Wilson, Sandra White, Aileen Campbell, Michael Matheson, Christina McKelvie, Jamie Hepburn, Linda Fabiani, Dave Thompson

S3M-5295 Nigel Don: Missing People—That the Parliament applauds the work of the charity, Missing People, in searching for those who have gone missing by securing publicity, manning three 24-hour year-round helplines and providing necessary resources and assistance to runaways, who are often contending with a wide range of personal issues; notes the recent research undertaken by Missing People in Scotland, with the support and assistance of the People’s Postcode Lottery (PPL), which highlights that 43,780 people were reported missing in Scotland last year; further notes the importance of the £380,000 that the PPL has donated so far to Missing People in helping it to ensure that families across Scotland receive specialist advice and practical support, and extends the Parliament’s deepest sympathies to those who have a family member or a loved one who is currently missing.

Supported by: Michael Matheson, Jamie Hepburn, Linda Fabiani, Anne McLaughlin

S3M-5294# Johann Lamont: STUC Women, Working to Improve Women’s Lives—That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish Trades Union Congress Women’s Committee on its recent conference, bringing together women trade unionists from across Scotland to debate the key economic and social issues facing women in the Pollok constituency, across Glasgow and throughout Scotland; acknowledges the important role played by Scottish women trade unionists in campaigning for greater representation of women at every level of government, in public bodies and in the private sector; recognises the importance of addressing the impact of economic recession on women’s lives, and believes that tackling disadvantage and inequality must be high in policy and budget priorities.

Supported by: Malcolm Chisholm, Cathy Jamieson, Mary Mulligan, Christina McKelvie, Des McNulty, Margaret Curran, John Park, Ken Macintosh, Jackie Baillie, Ms Wendy Alexander, Trish Godman, Karen Whitefield, David Whitton, Pauline McNeill, Elaine Smith, Rhona Brankin, Mr Frank McAveety, Karen Gillon, Marlyn Glen, Bill Butler, George Foulkes, Patricia Ferguson, Hugh Henry, Cathie Craigie, Elaine Murray, Gil Paterson, Marilyn Livingstone, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Lewis Macdonald, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5293 Johann Lamont: Congratulations to Maria Fyfe—That the Parliament congratulates Maria Fyfe on her recent special award from the Scottish Trades Union Congress Women’s Conference; notes her critical role in the establishment of the Scottish Parliament andin her championing of 50:50 representation of women in the Scottish Parliament, and believes that the most fitting legacy for her long-term commitment to equal pay, the rights of women workers and equality for women would be to see a refreshed determination to secure increased representation for women at every level of government, in public bodies and in industry and to ensure greater priority for the rights of women at home, in the community and at work.

Supported by: Cathy Jamieson, Malcolm Chisholm, Des McNulty, Mary Mulligan, Margaret Curran, Patricia Ferguson, Bill Kidd, John Park, Ken Macintosh, Jackie Baillie, Claire Baker, Ms Wendy Alexander, Trish Godman, Richard Baker, Karen Whitefield, David Whitton, Elaine Smith, Rhona Brankin, Mr Frank McAveety, Karen Gillon, Dr Richard Simpson, Robin Harper, Marlyn Glen, Bill Butler, George Foulkes, Charlie Gordon, Hugh Henry, Cathie Craigie, Elaine Murray, Marilyn Livingstone, Cathy Peattie, Lewis Macdonald, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart

S3M-5292 Jim Tolson: Fife Young Carers—That the Parliament congratulates Fife Young Carers on the support that it gives to young carers aged 10 to 18, providing recognition, resources, respite and representation; acknowledges the work of the organisation in providing activity-based time out, support and friendship; notes the successful residential Fife Young Carers Workshop, held at Carnegie Business Centre, Dunfermline, in conjunction with Arts and Theatre Trust Fife and TAG Theatre, giving young carers the opportunity to gain confidence and self-esteem, and further notes the Natural Connections programme, which is currently helping young people understand their environment as well as enabling them to take part in outdoor activities.

Supported by: Karen Whitefield, Claire Baker, Mike Pringle, Jim Hume, Jackie Baillie, Gil Paterson, Hugh O’Donnell, Robin Harper, John Park, Bob Doris, Bill Kidd, Aileen Campbell, Cathy Peattie

S3M-5290 Jamie McGrigor: Congratulations to Eilean Eisdeal on its British Gas Green Streets Award—That the Parliament congratulations the Easdale Island’s community development company, Eilean Eisdeal, on its success in this year’s hotly contested British Gas Green Streets programme; notes that it will receive £130,000 to implement a range of measures to tackle community and household energy efficiency and to lower the island’s carbon footprint; notes further its plans to use the project as a learning opportunity for contractors, construction professionals and communities across Argyll and Bute and to use British Gas’s technical expertise to showcase and demonstrate the technologies, and pays tribute to all those involved in Eilean Eisdeal on this very significant achievement and wishes the project every success.

Supported by: Nanette Milne, David Stewart, Jamie Stone, Bill Aitken, Rob Gibson, Robin Harper, Ted Brocklebank, Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd, Jackie Baillie, Margaret Mitchell, Mary Scanlon, John Lamont, Gil Paterson, Rhoda Grant

S3M-5288 Jim Hume: Congratulations to Border Curling Development Group—That the Parliament congratulates Border Curling Development Group on its successful bid for funding through The People’s Millions and wishes the group well in delivering its Eight to Eighty Plus project using the £47,686 awarded to it.

Supported by: Hugh O’Donnell, Jim Tolson, Bill Kidd, Mike Pringle, Patricia Ferguson, Gil Paterson

S3M-5287 George Foulkes: Relentless Education Cuts across Edinburgh—That the Parliament supports parents, teachers and pupils across Edinburgh in their opposition to further school budget cuts to be implemented by the City of Edinburgh Council; considers the strain that last year’s 1.5% cut placed on school resources and staff; is strongly opposed to a further 2.5% cut year-on-year for the next three years; sees this as a complete failure by the SNP/Liberal Democrat administration to manage its budget and is dismayed that it is allowing children’s education to suffer as a direct result of this; views that the cumulative effect of this will mean a cut of 9% in 2012-13; considers that head teachers are already struggling to meet basic school running costs such as heating and toilet repairs; is aware of the strength of feeling among communities and teachers, many of whom could lose their jobs in order to balance budgets; further considers that teacher unemployment is at an all-time high in Scotland while class sizes have reached 32 in some schools; believes that further cuts will only compound the problem and further adversely affect the standard and quality of children’s education; believes that the Scottish Government’s lack of intervention and action on this issue shows that its priorities are totally wrong, particularly when it invests so much time and money in making a case for separation from the rest of the United Kingdom instead of investing in Scotland’s children’s education; thinks that this, combined with its failure to build or refurbish one single school since May 2007, shows a total lack of commitment to improving education, and demands that the SNP/Liberal Democrat administration and the Scottish Government come together and resolve the funding crisis that is believed to be destroying education across the city.

Supported by: Sarah Boyack, Cathy Jamieson, Rhona Brankin, Jackie Baillie, Des McNulty, Robin Harper, Mr Frank McAveety, Mary Mulligan, John Park, Ken Macintosh, Karen Whitefield, David Stewart

S3M-5287.1 Mike Pringle: Relentless Education Cuts across Edinburgh—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5287) in the name of George Foulkes, leave out from "in their opposition" to end and insert "in their desire to see the City of Edinburgh Council deliver the best education service possible under extremely difficult financial circumstances; considers that the 1.5% schools budget savings implemented by the City of Edinburgh Council in the 2007-08 financial year were necessary; further considers that the City of Edinburgh Council succeeded in protecting the schools budget in the 2008-09 financial year but acknowledges that further savings will have to be made in the future; considers these savings to be both necessary and the direct result of disastrous financial management by the previous City of Edinburgh Council administration that was voted out of office, leaving a £14 million budget deficit in the children and families department, and of the recession caused by the current UK Government’s dreadful handling of the economy that has lead to budget cuts across Scotland and severe job losses in Edinburgh; acknowledges that, despite the 2007-08 budget savings, Edinburgh’s schools outperformed the Scottish average in terms of SQA exam pass rates in 2008-09; further notes that they are continuing to improve, having surpassed their results for 2007-08 and delivered the best advanced higher results in six years, and considers that, rather than continue to apportion blame, all parties must acknowledge the reality of the problems that the recession has caused and work together to deliver pragmatic solutions to the current funding crisis while continuing to support the success of Edinburgh’s education system."

Supported by: Margaret Smith

S3M-5286 Stewart Maxwell: Celebrating Business Excellence in Renfrewshire—That the Parliament congratulates the finalists and winners of the 2009 ROCCO awards; considers that the annual award event hosted by the Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce is a great opportunity for local businesses to gain recognition for their good work and contribution to Renfrewshire and across Scotland; believes that the awards are a superb showcase of the potential for commercial firms to thrive in Renfrewshire; notes that the ROCCO awards celebrate success in several areas, including innovation and technology, outstanding business performance and most promising new business; further notes that the awards are highly prized by the local business community, and wishes all nominees and winners continued success in the future.

Supported by: Rob Gibson, Christina McKelvie, Ms Wendy Alexander, Stuart McMillan, Alasdair Allan, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Wilson, Bill Kidd, Hugh Henry, Angela Constance, Gil Paterson

S3M-5285 Hugh O’Donnell: Chatelherault Primary School, Hamilton, Fundraising Record for Macmillan Cancer Support—That the Parliament congratulates the pupils and staff of Chatelherault Primary School for raising a total of £3,427 for Macmillan Cancer Support through a series of different enterprising activities, including coffee mornings, sponsored runs, dress-down days and tuck shops, which puts the school ahead of others in the area in terms of their fundraising achievements, raising the highest amount of any Lanarkshire school for Macmillan Cancer Support this year.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Robin Harper, Cathy Jamieson, Bob Doris, Karen Whitefield, Stuart McMillan, Angela Constance, Christina McKelvie, Mike Pringle, Gil Paterson, Tom McCabe, Sandra White, Linda Fabiani, David Stewart

S3M-5283 Christine Grahame: Credit Card Theft—That the Parliament urges retailers to review existing security screening and warning notices around checkout areas where chip and pin devices are used and to focus on the need for increased security for customers who are older, have young children or are disabled in order that the festive season does not provide opportunities for criminals actively targeting these groups by means of credit card theft and fraud.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Dave Thompson, Hugh Henry, Jackie Baillie, Stewart Maxwell, Bill Wilson, Kenneth Gibson, Joe FitzPatrick, Robin Harper, Brian Adam, Angela Constance, Michael Matheson, Jamie Hepburn, Gil Paterson, Rhoda Grant

S3M-5282 Helen Eadie: Parliament’s Mole Hunters—That the Parliament applauds the work of Skin Care Campaign Scotland in organising the Mole Hunters event at which more than 10% of the people on the Parliament campus had their moles checked for malignancy; considers that there is a need to change patient referral times to urgent in all cases of suspected melanomas, recognising that swift diagnosis is essential; congratulates clinicians in the NHS Lanarkshire phototriage, where there is high-quality digital imaging with medical photographers that has improved the early diagnosis and treatment of malignant melanomas, and hopes that the Scottish Government will agree to the call of Skin Care Campaign Scotland that urgent action be taken to co-ordinate a major awareness-raising campaign for recognition of moles that may have changed appearance and may be malignant, knowing of the high mortality rates for such cancerous tumours.

Supported by: Patricia Ferguson, Karen Whitefield, Jamie Hepburn, Tom McCabe, Mary Scanlon, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart

S3M-5281 Dr Richard Simpson: Congratulations to Alloa Community Enterprises—That the Parliament congratulates Alloa Community Enterprises (ACE) on its recent success on being named Large Best Scottish Social Enterprise in the Social Enterprise Coalition Awards in recognition of its continuing hard work in the community and success in recycling; considers that the success of ACE has been built on a strong partnership with local authorities and businesses and has provided jobs for the local community in Clackmannanshire; believes that ACE’s activities have, in large part, led to Clackmannanshire Council remaining at the top of the table for best recycling rates in Scotland; wishes the company well for the future and hopes that its achievements will be recognised in the UK final of the Social Enterprise Coalition Awards, to be held in London on 3 December 2009, and further hopes that the company will continue to lead the way in environmental awareness and supporting the social needs of the local community as a business that other companies can aspire to.

Supported by: Hugh O’Donnell, Hugh Henry, Robin Harper, Des McNulty, Mr Frank McAveety, Trish Godman, Mary Mulligan, Claire Baker, Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd, Jackie Baillie, Ken Macintosh, Bill Butler, John Park, Pauline McNeill, Karen Whitefield, Gil Paterson, Jack McConnell, David Stewart

S3M-5280 Irene Oldfather: Dear Mister Burns, Irvine Burns Club Exhibition—That the Parliament congratulates the Irvine Burns Club on its Dear Mister Burns exhibition, the first ever public display of handwritten letters to the club; notes that among the collection, dating from 1828 to the present day, are letters from honorary members such as Charles Dickens, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Theodore Roosevelt, Sir Sean Connery, John Galt, JM Barrie, Sir Alexander Fleming and the first four First Ministers of the Scottish Parliament; welcomes the decision by the Irvine Burns Club to make this collection available to be viewed by the public; further notes that the exhibition forms part of a four-day celebration in Irvine to mark the end of the Year of Homecoming and to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns and will include a range of events for both local people and visitors, including music and drama, ceilidhs and concerts; agrees that this event will raise awareness of the work and influence of Burns both in Scotland and elsewhere, and therefore recognises the global legacy of the work of Robert Burns.

Supported by: Patricia Ferguson, Karen Whitefield, Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, Linda Fabiani, David Stewart

S3M-5279 Cathy Jamieson: The Big Issue, Real Lives, Real Achievements—That the Parliament notes that the Big Issue Real Lives, Real Achievements Awards Ceremony was held in Glasgow on Tuesday 24 November 2009; congratulates Barry Greenan, Scott Lawrie, Joan Anderson and Peter Corstorphine on winning Vendor awards; notes that The Big Issue Scotland is the best-selling news and arts weekly magazine in Scotland, that it has over 500 vendors working across the country and has helped change hundreds of lives for the better in the last 15 years, and looks forward to the Big Issue Foundation being able to secure the finances required to expand its work and provide additional services in Scotland.

Supported by: Patricia Ferguson, Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart

S3M-5278 Rhona Brankin: Coalfields Regeneration Trust in Scotland—That the Parliament notes the evaluation by EKOS of the work of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) in Scotland over the last 10 years; welcomes the channelling of more than £15 million over that period into coalfield areas by the CRT in Scotland; notes that for every £1 of CRT investment in project activity since 2005, an additional £1.37 of funding from other sources has been secured; is concerned that despite the excellent work of the CRT the study found that deprivation in Scotland is still disproportionately concentrated in coalfield communities, with particular inequalities evident in relation to income, employment and skills, and considers that further investment is needed in Scotland’s former coalfield communities if the economic and social challenges in these areas are to be fully addressed.

Supported by: Cathie Craigie, Johann Lamont, Hugh O’Donnell, John Park, Claire Baker, Trish Godman, Mr Frank McAveety, Patricia Ferguson, Jackie Baillie, David Whitton, Jim Tolson, Sarah Boyack, Mary Mulligan, Bill Butler, Karen Gillon, Cathy Jamieson, Angela Constance, Robin Harper, Dr Richard Simpson, Willie Coffey, Elaine Smith, Karen Whitefield, Jamie Hepburn, Marilyn Livingstone, Jack McConnell, David Stewart

S3M-5277 Cathy Peattie: Scottish Women’s Aid Census—That the Parliament welcomes the publication of Scottish Women’s Aid census day statistics, collected over a 24-hour period on 24 September 2009; notes that, on this day, Women’s Aid groups across Scotland supported 642 women and 307 children and young people, that 412 women and 391 children and young people needed the safety of women’s aid refuge, that 31 of the 47 women who requested refuge on this day could not be accommodated and that 12 had to be turned away due to a lack of space; notes that 101 women contacted Women’s Aid for the first time on this day; reaffirms the importance of Women’s Aid’s specialist support for women; expresses concern about the removal of ring-fenced funding and the increased funding pressures that local authorities face, and calls for a stronger commitment, matched by funding, to ensure that women, children and young people can live their lives safe in the knowledge that they will be supported by specialist domestic abuse services.

Supported by: Cathy Jamieson, Patricia Ferguson, John Park, Dr Richard Simpson, Elaine Murray, Sarah Boyack, Jackie Baillie, Marlyn Glen, Ms Wendy Alexander, David Whitton, Malcolm Chisholm, Mary Mulligan, Rhona Brankin, Margaret Curran, Bill Butler, Elaine Smith, Christina McKelvie, Karen Whitefield, Hugh Henry, Jamie Hepburn, Cathie Craigie, Marilyn Livingstone, Robin Harper, Ross Finnie, Michael Matheson, Jack McConnell, Hugh O’Donnell, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart

S3M-5276 Stuart McMillan: Congratulations to Twechar Language and Communication Resource—That the Parliament congratulates Twechar Language and Communication Resource in East Dunbartonshire for receiving a fantastic HM Inspectorate of Education report; notes that the resource received seven very good ratings and one good rating; further notes that the resource received praise for its contribution of speech and language therapists and leadership of improvement by the manager and principal teacher, and acknowledges the hard work of all those involved in the resource and hopes that it goes from strength to strength.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Jackie Baillie, Aileen Campbell, Bill Kidd, Sandra White, Ross Finnie, Rob Gibson, Angela Constance, Jamie Hepburn, Gil Paterson

S3M-5275 Patricia Ferguson: Maryhill Citizens Advice Bureau: A Successful Year—That the Parliament congratulates Maryhill Citizens Advice Bureau on achieving National Standards accreditation in 33 areas of law and in successfully coming through the Citizens Advice Scotland Audit Process and Quality Assurance Scheme; notes that £3.5 million was secured by the bureau for clients in its area during 2008-09 thanks to the hard work and commitment of the staff and volunteers of the bureau and the excellent work that they do both in the Maryhill office and in outreach work, and wishes them continued success.

Supported by: Hugh Henry, Pauline McNeill, James Kelly, Des McNulty, Trish Godman, Claire Baker, Bill Butler, Mr Frank McAveety, Jackie Baillie, Mary Mulligan, Ken Macintosh, Karen Whitefield, Jamie Hepburn, Marilyn Livingstone, David Stewart

S3M-5274♦ Aileen Campbell: Leaked Documents Raise Serious Questions about Iraq Conflict—That the Parliament notes with serious concern the publication of leaked documents and post-operational reports regarding the conflict in Iraq; further notes that these documents appear to suggest that planning for UKmilitary activity in Iraq had been taking place since February 2002, while UK Government ministers denied that such planning was taking place; notes the widespread opposition to the war in thesouth of Scotland region and across the country as a whole,andwould welcomethe examination of these documents,along with any and all other evidence about the build-up to the conflict, the conflict itself and its aftermath and that, should evidence emerge of wrongdoing and illegality in decision making, those responsible be held to account.

Supported by: Patrick Harvie, Bill Wilson, Joe FitzPatrick, Alasdair Allan, Brian Adam, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Sandra White, Rob Gibson, Angela Constance, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Christina McKelvie, Bob Doris, Jamie Hepburn, Gil Paterson

S3M-5180# Jamie McGrigor: Future of Mid Argyll Community Swimming Pool—That the Parliament notes with concern the threat of closure facing the Mid Argyll Swimming Pool in Lochgilphead due to a financial shortfall; believes that this community-owned social enterprise, owned and operated by Mid Argyll Community Enterprise Ltd, plays a vital role in providing the communities of Lochgilphead and Mid Argyll with a first-class public swimming pool and all the associated benefits to mental and physical health that come from the activity of swimming; considers that the pool is well used by pupils from many local primary schools and by local recreation clubs and many of the tourists and visitors who come to Mid Argyll; notes further that the new Lochgilphead High School does not have a swimming pool and that closure of this pool would mean that the nearest public swimming pools were many miles away in Oban, Rothesay, Dunoon or Campbeltown; is aware that the funding shortfall facing the pool amounts to around £10,000 in this financial year and £30,000 in subsequent years, and believes that all available funding options should be explored in order to secure the future of this well-used and much-loved community asset.

Supported by: Bill Aitken, Jackson Carlaw, Nanette Milne, Mary Scanlon, Ted Brocklebank, Mr Frank McAveety, Margaret Mitchell, Dave Thompson, Rhoda Grant, Peter Peacock

S3M-5168# Anne McLaughlin: The Future of East Coast Rail Services—That the Parliament expresses concern over reports that the east coast rail link between Glasgow Central and London King’s Cross is to be axed, resulting in a loss of 40% of capacity, or 22,000 seats a week, to direct services between London and Glasgow; notes that such a move will also affect travel between Glasgow and the north of England; further notes that the west coast main line is prone to engineering works and delays and that, with no east coast main line, Glasgow business and tourism will be put at a disadvantage; considers that these proposals by the UK Government are a mistake, and believes that the nationalised east coast main line should continue to offer regular direct services to Glasgow from London King’s Cross.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Rob Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Brian Adam, Stewart Maxwell, Christopher Harvie, Gil Paterson, Kenneth Gibson, Aileen Campbell, Robin Harper, Bill Kidd, Dave Thompson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Michael Matheson, Robert Brown, Jamie Hepburn

S3M-4965 Nicola Sturgeon: The Draft Health Board Elections (Scotland) Regulations 2009—That the Health and Sport Committee recommends that the draft Health Board Elections (Scotland) Regulations 2009 be approved.

Supported by: Shona Robison

S3M-3589 Bill Aitken: Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill—That the Justice Committee considers the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill at Stage 2 in the following order: sections 1 to 8, section 13, sections 9 to 12, sections 14 to 37, schedule 1, section 38, schedule 2, sections 39 to 42, schedule 3, sections 43 to 48, schedules 4 and 5, section 49 and the long title.