Seòmar agus comataidhean

That the Parliament congratulates the pupils and teachers of Balivanich School on the Isle of Benbecula for being awarded a sportscotland 2024-26 Gold School Sport Award; notes that the gold award is in recognition of the school’s achievement in putting sport at the heart of its planning, practice and ethos; understands that this is the third time that the school has received the gold award, having previously received the Gold School Sport Award in 2026-18 and 2018-21, and wishes Balivanich School continued success in promoting and improving the standards and accessibility of physical education and sport for children and young people.

That the Parliament celebrates that Falkirk RFC was crowned National League Champion after a win over Lasswade RFC at Murrayfield on 27 April 2024; notes that Falkirk RFC, based in Sunnyside, will play its last league game of the season against Stirling in the local derby on 4 May 2024; acknowledges the work that the club does with the local community and schools, and wishes it all the very best for next season.

That the Parliament congratulates Total Fitness Kilmarnock on taking part in and completing the Kiltwalk 2024; understands that owners, Chris McClymont and Craig Bryson, walked the 23-mile Mighty Stride from Glasgow Green to the bonny banks of Loch Lomond, along with 19 other personal trainers and gym members to raise funds for Revive MS; further understands that the gym has raised over £1,655, which will help people affected by multiple sclerosis in Scotland to have access to the specialist physical, mental and financial support services that Revive MS Support provides; recognises the hard work and effort of all the team at Total Fitness, and congratulates all involved.

That Parliament commends the efforts of the inspirational cancer survivor, Rev Julie Moody, Milton of Campsie Parish Church minister, who is swimming 500 lengths of her local pool at Kirkintilloch Leisure Centre, supported by her two children Josiah, 11, and Esther, 9, to raise funds for vital medical research into the disease; notes that the family’s marathon feat is part of the annual UK-wide Swimathon event in aid of charities Marie Curie and Cancer Research UK; understands that Julie has been treated for breast cancer twice and is grateful for the medical care that she said saved her life; notes that the family wants to give back to aid others; applauds them for helping to make sure that research into cancer treatment and potential cures continues, and wishes them every success in their fantastic fundraising endeavour.

That the Parliament expresses its sadness at the death of the Scottish actor, Brian McCardie, at the age of 59; recognises that he is lovingly remembered by his family as a "wonderful and passionate actor on stage and screen"; notes that he was born in Bellshill and was best known for his role as Hunter in Line of Duty; further notes that he starred in a host of other film and TV productions, including the movies, Rob Roy and The Damned United, and the BBC’s Time; understands that he had recently been cast in the upcoming Outlander prequel, Blood of My Blood, and expresses its condolences to his family and friends at this sad time.

That the Parliament notes the case of Margaret Fleming; acknowledges that Margaret was a woman with a learning disability who went missing for over 18 years; notes that Margaret’s so-called carers were subsequently found guilty of murder and that her body has never been found; understands that, during the 18 years that Margaret was unaccounted for, no one from social services had been in contact with her directly; notes that, in October 2023, the report on Margaret's significant case review, titled Remember My Name, was published; understands that this title was chosen due to a discussion with an adult protection officer in Inverclyde who described training that takes place locally to ensure that professional staff are able to fulfil their duties effectively by remembering children, young adults and adults who have been killed; agrees with the report’s sentiments that to describe Eddie Cairney and Avril Jones as Margaret’s carers severely undermines the commitment and dedication of Scotland’s actual carers; understands that the detailed report listed a number of recommendations to prevent a case such as Margaret’s from happening again; further understands that some of the recommendations included reviewing policies, procedures and protocols for those at risk of being invisible to services, ensuring that a robust system is in place around decision-making for thresholds being met for investigating referrals under relevant child or adult protection procedures, ensuring that Social Security Scotland staff understand policies in respect of people with learning disabilities, and improving the sharing of information about children, young people and adults across health and education services; appreciates the work of Charlie McMillan from the Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities, who presented the key findings of the review to the Cross Party Group on Social Work; commends the Adult Protection Committee and Child Protection Committee of Inverclyde Council, which commissioned the report, and Professor Jean MacLellan OBE, who led the review, and praises what it sees as the diligent work that was carried out to publish the report, Remember My Name, which it considers aims to paint a picture of Margaret as an individual and a unique human being who lived a life, and not as someone who is remembered principally as a murder victim.

That the Parliament congratulates nurses from the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow on organising a charity ball at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel on 27 April 2024; understands that the special event aimed to brighten the lives of patients undergoing treatment; recognises that the nurses care for children aged five to 12, who have severe mental health disorders, anorexia, psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder, in ward four of the hospital; understands that young patients are often in the hospital for months and even up to a year; further understands that parents and guardians cannot stay on the ward and that, depending on where the family base is, they are sometimes unable to see their children daily or weekly, and believes that the nurses saw the powerful and positive impact that family time has on the children and decided to organise the charity ball to raise funds, which, it understands, will allow them to send children and their families on day trips and weekends away.

That the Parliament congratulates Alison Houston for her 50 years of service as a telephone operator, turned engineer, in Glasgow; understands that Alison is “hanging up” after 50 years’ with the GPO, BT and, latterly, Openreach; understands that she began her career in 1974, following her night-operator dad into the business, then known as the General Post Office; acknowledges that the 68-year-old started her career in the city’s Pitt Street exchange, connecting local calls to operators around Scotland, then moved to International Enquiries and into clerical roles; understands that, when Alison began her career, there were places in the UK that she could not direct dial and most clerical workers and operators were female; notes that Alison switched to engineering more than 20 years ago; understands that Alison's career journey from operator to engineer sees her as Openreach’s longest serving female engineer in the UK, and the only person in its 3,400-strong Scottish workforce to achieve 50 years, and wishes her a happy retirement.

That the Parliament congratulates Wallace Primary School on achieving a Gold Award from sportscotland; recognises the work that the Elderslie school has completed to achieve this, which included putting sport at the centre of its ethos and improving the sporting opportunities for pupils; notes that sportscotland, which is funded by the National Lottery, created the Gold Award to encourage schools to put young people at the heart of decision making, planning and implementation in relation to extra-curricular school sport, and commends Wallace Primary School and the other seven schools in west Scotland that have received the Gold Award recently.

That the Parliament congratulates the Radio City Association charity on receiving £5 million in funding towards its wind turbine project; recognises that the ATTIX Community Interest Company (CIC), which was established by the Radio City Association, will invest the sum into the Garnock Valley in North Ayrshire; notes that the group will now press forward with its plans to construct the turbine just outside Kilbirnie, with construction expected to be completed by the end of 2024 and the wind turbine having the capability to power the equivalent of 2,234 average UK homes once operational, and commends the volunteers of the charity for working hard to achieve this funding and for having the vision for such an ambitious project.