Seòmar agus comataidhean

That the Parliament recognises the unveiling of a new headstone at Girvan’s Doune Cemetery, which marks the resting place of Francesco D’Inverno who, it understands, was a casualty in the sinking of the Arandora Star; understands that Francesco, who was born in Villa Latina, Lazio, Italy in 1901, was living in London in the 1930s and, like many other Italians, was arrested as an “enemy alien” following Italy’s entry into the Second World War; further understands that Francesco was sent to Canada on the Arandora Star before the ship was sunk by a German U-boat, and that he was one of 805 people who died in the sinking; notes that Francesco’s body was washed ashore near Lendalfoot and was buried in an unmarked grave; praises the Italian Garden Improvement Group for confirming Francesco’s identity in September 2023; expresses gratitude to the Girvan and District Great War project for tracking down Francesco’s relatives, who are currently living in Kent, to inform them of the news, and praises all involved in this project which keeps the memory of Francesco alive.

That the Parliament notes the Nuffield Trust's new report, The future for health after Brexit, published on 18 April 2024, which found that medicine shortages in the UK are being exacerbated by Brexit; understands that the report found that the number of warnings issued by drug companies about impending supply problems for certain products has more than doubled, from 648 in 2020 to 1,634 in 2023; further understands, with concern, that the report describes these medicine shortages as a "new normal", with the UK reportedly isolated in efforts to tackle problems in the supply chain due to policy choices by the UK Government, and with the UK being slower than the EU to approve new drugs that are authorised centrally, and believes that these issues are causing serious harm to Scotland's NHS and are a symptom of the unworkable nature of Brexit, which is backed by both the Conservatives and the Labour Party, and that they can only be realistically resolved by Scotland re-joining the EU as an independent country.

That the Parliament congratulates Glasgow’s Jim Kerr, lead singer of Simple Minds, who won a distinguished radio award at the New York Festivals International Radio Awards; acknowledges that Jim Kerr won the Gold Medal for Best Documentary for his BBC documentary film on The Doors’ Jim Morrison, entitled Jim Kerr on Jim Morrison, in the Culture and the Arts category on 16 April 2024; understands that this is Jim's first documentary, which he wrote and presented and in which he explores the enduring legacy of Jim Morrison, as he reflects on how the poet and singer influenced both his life and career; notes that Kerr created the documentary to highlight the legacy of Morrison, which was released on what would have been the rock star's 80th birthday, and further notes that the awards ceremony is held annually in New York City to celebrate the best radio productions and that the awards are judged by an international panel of writers, presenters, producers, editors, sound artists, journalists, and directors.

That the Parliament commends Roshan Fernandez for the challenge that he is about to undertake, running seven marathons in seven days to raise money on behalf of a colleague with bowel cancer; understands that the challenge starts on 6 May 2024 from the front door of his workplace, the Fountain Dental Practice in Aboyne, and will see Roshan run just over 183 miles; notes that he was encouraged to take on this challenge after his friend and colleague at the practice was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 44; understands that it was his friend's diagnosis that inspired him to do something to raise awareness of bowel cancer, and further understands that Roshan plans to run the first six marathons around the Aberdeenshire countryside, sticking mainly to the Deeside railway line that passes through Aboyne, and will complete his seventh and final 26.2 miles at Leeds’ Rob Burrow Marathon on 12 May 2024.

That the Parliament expresses its sadness at the news of the devastating fire that occurred at the historic Danish Stock Exchange Building, commonly known as Børsen on 16 April 2024; notes what it sees as the cultural and historic value of the building given its status as one of the oldest buildings in Copenhagen, built in 1619, and its proximity to Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament; congratulates the work of the Danish emergency services to ensure that no injuries or fatalities occurred in the fire,  and supports the people of Denmark in the hope of seeing the building quickly repaired and restored.

That the Parliament congratulates Ayr’s Savoy Park Hotel on receiving the Good Hotel Award for 2024; understands that the prestigious award recognises and celebrates exceptional customer service and genuine hospitality throughout the UK; applauds what it sees as the hard work and dedication of the staff, who go above and beyond to deliver the highest levels of customer satisfaction, ensuring that a memorable experience is had by all; understands that the offer of good food, a homely atmosphere and attention to detail, has established the award-winning reputation of the hotel, both locally and further afield; congratulates the Savoy Park Hotel once again on its recent accolade, and wishes everyone continued success for the future.

That the Parliament congratulates Castle Water on reaching 10 years in business; understands that the Blairgowrie-based business is the UK’s largest independent water retailer serving multi-site customers, small businesses and sole traders; further understands that Castle Water began operating with a small number of staff but now employs more than 300 people and that its achievements include its Modern Apprenticeship programme for young people aged between 18 and 24 years, with 95% of apprentices choosing to stay at Castle Water after completing their apprenticeships, and wishes Castle Water all the best for the future.

That the Parliament congratulates the young footballers Josh, Oliver S, Riley, Dylan, Carson, Nicky, Yasin, Spencer, Noah, Oliver C, Oliver J, Zach and Ryan of Gleniffer Thistle in Paisley, who raised £725 for Epilepsy Scotland through a charity walk; recognises that the walk took over six hours and covered 25.32 km, from Hampden Park to St Mirren Park via Celtic Park and Ibrox; notes that Epilepsy Scotland works with people affected by epilepsy to improve healthcare and information provision and to end stigma, and understands that the boys chose to donate to the charity to support their teammate, Josh, who has epilepsy.

That the Parliament commends the recent paper, Tackling Sibling Sexual Abuse in Scotland, published by the Cross Party Group on Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse; notes with concern the lack of Scotland-specific data regarding sibling sexual abuse (SSA); understands that SSA is the most common form of intra-familial child sexual abuse; acknowledges research that suggests that it is estimated that at least twice as many children are sexually abused by a child sibling than by a parent; recognises that many survivors who talk of their experiences of rape or sexual assault perpetrated by a sibling find that their abuse can be met by disbelief or minimisation by adults and professionals as "sexual experimentation" or "natural curiosity"; understands that SSA is less likely to be disclosed than other forms of sexual abuse, due to shame, fears of punishment or blame, or not being believed; further understands that the consequences of SSA may include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance and alcohol misuse, eating disorders and relationship difficulties throughout life; believes that there is credible evidence that SSA often goes unrecognised or is minimised by professionals, which it considers is adverse to the needs of survivors and their families; acknowledges what it considers the complex issue of SSA whereby perpetrators are often underage themselves and may be in need of additional support; notes the support for any measures to highlight the prevalence of sibling sexual abuse, its impact and what parents can do if they are concerned about sexual behaviour between siblings; further notes the belief that it is valuable to launch a reference group bringing together key agencies and those with lived experience to consolidate learning, identify best practices and steer future policy and practice so that scalable, proportionate and trauma-informed responses are available to address this issue, and notes the belief that it is beneficial to establish dedicated training courses for social workers and other safeguarding professionals, including those in the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency, specifically on disclosure and communicating with children when there are concerns about SSA.

That the Parliament recognises what it sees as the importance of wood-burning stoves and other forms of direct emission heating in homes in rural, island and remote communities across Scotland; notes that wood-burning stoves are often the only source of heat and hot water, and method of cooking, when power is lost or when bad weather leaves households or communities isolated; further notes that the Non-domestic Technical Handbook: April 2024 Edition states that “in smaller buildings there will be little justification to install emergency heating”; considers that any emergency heating can only be used in emergencies and must be connected to both the normal heating system and an emergency power source, and that the cost and technical implications of this have led to the Scottish Government’s Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023 being described as “an effective ban” on wood-burning stoves in new-build properties; believes that this will put vulnerable households in more remote areas of Scotland at greater risk when cut off or when power is lost, as well as exacerbate already high levels of fuel poverty, and recognises reports of the concern and anger that this has caused in rural and island communities across Scotland, especially in the Highlands and Islands.