Seòmar agus comataidhean

That the Parliament congratulates the organisers of Climate Week North East (CWNE), which ran between 15 and 24 March 2024, on successfully hosting the 10th anniversary of this event; considers that this week highlights the vital work local communities and organisations are doing across Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire in areas such as climate action, wildlife conservation, nature restoration, environmental protection, and the circular economy; acknowledges that CWNE was started by Aberdeen Climate Action in 2014 and is now organised by NESCAN Hub; notes what it sees as the space for fun events, such as family days, nature walks, bike rides, workshops, inspiring talks, exciting films, engaging activities and the ability to connect and share best practice that CWNE creates; further notes the hard work that staff and volunteers undertake to make CWNE a success; applauds their dedication, goodwill and community spirit, and wishes them continued good fortune now and into the future.

That the Parliament congratulates Scotland National Cerebral Palsy Football Team on becoming Cerebral Palsy (CP) Football World Champions at the 2024 International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football (IFCPF) Men's World Championships in Salou, Spain; praises the Scotland National CP Football Team for beating the Northern Ireland CP Football Team by four goals to nil on 17 April 2024 in Salou; understands that the IFCPF Men's World Championships sits below the IFCPF World Cup, with the IFCPF World Championships providing a top level competition for those teams that have not qualified to compete in the World Cup, and sees teams play seven-a-side football in the competition; further understands that all players competing in CP Football have ataxia, hypertonia or athetosis, which are three impairment types that are most commonly associated with individuals having neurological impairment, with a motor control impairment of a cerebral nature, causing a permanent and verifiable activity limitation; notes that hypertonia is a condition marked by an abnormal increase in muscle tension and the reduced ability of a muscle to stretch, ataxia is a neurological sign and symptom that consists of a lack of co-ordination of muscle movements, and athetosis is generally characterised by unbalanced, involuntary movements due to constant changes in muscle tone and a difficulty in maintaining a symmetrical posture, and wishes the Scotland National CP Football Team continued success in future CP Football competitions.

That the Parliament congratulates Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland on receiving the annual Stanley Pritchard Award in recognition of its work in supporting 40 men who are survivors of human trafficking in the fishing industry; understands that the organisation has been able to advocate for legal support for each of the men and has facilitated a meeting between representatives of the group and senior Crown Office staff; further understands that the organisation continues to give the survivors ongoing support; acknowledges what it sees as the significance of the Stanley Pritchard Award being given to an anti-trafficking charity based in Scotland, given the efforts of the Glaswegian, Reverend Stanley Pritchard, in pioneering fundraising for humanitarian relief during his own life, and commends the work of Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland regarding prevention, victim recovery, long-term survivor support and advocacy, in order to end human trafficking in Scotland for good.

That the Parliament notes with concern that the Constitutional Court of Uganda recently upheld the provisions of the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act, which, it believes, is in defiance of international law; is aware that the legislation, adopted in May 2023, has been described as being among the world's harshest anti-gay laws and has, it believes, rightly drawn condemnation from human rights campaigners across the world; condemns the legislation, which, it understands, imposes penalties of up to life imprisonment for consensual same-sex relations and contains provisions that make "aggravated homosexuality" an offence punishable by death; understands that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that close to 600 people are reported to have been subjected to human rights violations and abuses “based on their actual or imputed sexual orientation or gender identity” since the Act was enacted; welcomes the strong international condemnation by elements of the international community, including the United Nations and countries such as the United States; acknowledges reports that activists, including Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, Frank Mugisha, have filed an appeal to Uganda's Supreme Court, and expresses its support to them by backing the repeal of what it considers to be a homophobic and draconian piece of legislation.

That the Parliament condemns the UK Government for its reported decision to reduce its commitment to locate 200 Department for Energy Security and Net Zero civil service posts to Aberdeen to 35 jobs; believes that the UK Government’s backtracking amounts to a betrayal of Aberdeen; understands that "Europe’s Energy Capital" has been promised numerous civil service job transfers previously, but believes that far too few have come to fruition; recognises what it sees as the efforts of Aberdonians and north east folk, whose knowledge, innovation and hard graft, it believes, have made the North Sea Basin the success that it has been when it comes to oil and gas exploration and extraction and wealth creation, and considers that successive UK administrations have failed to invest in Aberdeen, which, it believes, is especially disappointing given that the UK Treasury has received over £300 billion in oil and gas revenue.

That the Parliament congratulates Danderhall and District Guerrilla Gardeners on securing a plot of derelict ground from Midlothian Council: understands that the site, situated behind shops, will be turned into a woodland garden and community space; notes that the group is working with the Woodland Trust Scotland as part of its project to plant thousands of trees across the country; further notes that the volunteer group formed during lockdown to represent its local community; welcomes the news that the group has signed an agreement with the local authority to take over maintenance of public spaces so that they are not sprayed with toxic chemicals; congratulates the group on winning a prestigious award from the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society in the summer for one of its children’s projects, and thanks the group for its ongoing hard work and commitment to the community.

That the Parliament congratulates Binn Group on becoming the only Scottish company to achieve PAS 402 certification through the Green Compass Scheme, which signifies a commitment to high standards of environmental stewardship, health, safety, and quality in waste management; acknowledges the leadership of Audrey Duckworth, Head of Environment at Binn Group, in guiding the company through the rigorous certification process set by the UK standards body, BSI, which involves stringent performance targets in waste collection, transport, recovery, treatment, and disposal, alongside detailed reporting; recognises what it sees as the role of Binn Group as an industry leader in promoting sustainable waste management practices across Scotland, and encourages other companies in the sector to pursue PAS 402 certification to enhance their environmental and operational practices in line with established standards.

That the Parliament congratulates ASH Scotland on taking action on smoking and health for 50 years; commends the health charity for advocating for progressive legislation, including the smoking provisions of the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Prohibition of Smoking in Certain Premises (Scotland) Regulations 2006, which, it believes, were significant milestones on the journey to reducing smoking rates across Scotland; understands that adult smoking prevalence in Scotland was 47% when ASH Scotland was founded by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in 1973, and that it has since fallen to 15% in 2022; believes, however, that smoking-related inequalities persist, with 25% of adults reportedly smoking in the most deprived areas compared to 7% in the least deprived; appreciates the contributions at the "Time for a tobacco-free Scotland" parliamentary reception celebrating ASH Scotland’s 50th anniversary by Julie Patterson, who spoke about Pilton Community Health Project, like ASH Scotland, having also been founded by a world leader in respiratory medicine, Sir John Crofton, and campaigning physician, Dr Eileen Crofton MBE, as well as its current collaborative work with the charity and NHS Lothian’s Quit Your Way service in Edinburgh, as well as S3 pupils, Jack Duncan and Elka Wenger, who presented about Larbert High School’s activities informing young people about the risks of health harms associated with using e-cigarettes; encourages anyone thinking of stopping smoking to seek the person-centred expert advice freely available from health professionals at Quit Your Way Scotland to benefit their health and fitness, family and finances, and wishes the charity well in working together with its many partnerships in communities across the country, as well as nationally and internationally, to help Scotland progress towards achieving a tobacco-free generation by 2034.

That the Parliament congratulates the students from Jedburgh High School who won the Business Leaders of the Future competition, which was designed to give those involved hands-on experience of running a successful business through a new interactive schools simulation competition; understands that the online contest saw six secondary schools take part in heats, with a team from Jedburgh Grammar Campus coming out on top in the grand final against a team from Dumfries Academy; notes that students were able to perform various roles, including being a CEO, and working in sales, delivery, finance and marketing teams; understands that the end of the grand final saw both schools trade for a virtual six-month period, and that Jedburgh Grammar Campus ended with an overall net profit of almost £199,000, with Dumfries Academy close behind with £160,000 profit; notes that the competition was co-ordinated by business simulation games experts, GingrTech, alongside South of Scotland Enterprise and Developing the Young Workforce teams in both Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders, and commends the other schools that took part in the contest, namely Lockerbie Academy and Dalbeattie High in Dumfries and Galloway, and Eyemouth High and Earlston High from the Scottish Borders.

That the Parliament congratulates Roger and Lesley Hill on raising an impressive £25,350 during their latest charity adventure by successfully cycling from Murrayfield in Edinburgh to Dublin to raise funds and awareness of Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY); recognises the importance of this achievement after Roger lost his son, David, from sudden cardiac death after he collapsed in March 2022 while playing rugby for the Scottish Parliament team on a visit to Ireland; notes that the money will be used to fund another 200 cardiac screenings of young people in Dumfries and Galloway where David grew up, taking the total to 800; acknowledges that the money will also be used to supply 15 defibrillators to secondary schools across Dumfries and Galloway; recognises that this news came on what would have been David’s 33rd birthday and is a fitting tribute to a much-cherished son, friend and colleague, who remains sorely missed, and wishes Roger and Lesley continued success in future fundraising ventures for such a worthy cause and lasting memory of David.