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That the Parliament marks Gas Safety Week 2025, which runs from 8 to 14 September and is coordinated by Gas Safe Register; emphasises the importance of regular safety checks, including annual checks, checking that your engineer is Gas Safe registered, and that your carbon monoxide alarm is functioning; understands that Gas Safety Week is an annual, pan-industry event, which brings everyone together for the common goal of keeping the nation gas safe while raising awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained appliances, which can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning; acknowledges that Gas Safe Register provides a host of support and resources, including an interactive tool, GasMap, which allows consumers to find out how many unsafe gas jobs have been carried out in their area, and provides helpful safety tips; notes efforts to raise gas safety awareness for people who live in rented accommodation, including holidaymakers, and to ensure that the law and regulations are fully understood; commends the efforts of all of the organisations and volunteers involved in Gas Safety Week 2025, and wishes everyone success in raising awareness of an issue that could save lives.

That the Parliament congratulates M Factor, based at Rutherglen Universal Connections, on being named as a finalist at the National Youth Work Awards 2025 in the Equality and Diversity category; notes that these awards are hosted by YouthLink Scotland, the national agency for youth work; recognises that M Factor supports almost 50 young people with additional support needs, and aims to create a transformative and inclusive space where everyone is empowered to thrive; understands that the group’s activities are shaped by its members; notes that it integrates life skills such as money management, personal safety and boundaries and that it aims to expand young people’s opportunities and independence; believes that the group promotes confidence, social mobility and community inclusion, as well as being a place where friendships are formed and social isolation is tackled; pays tribute to the group’s organisers and leaders for their dedication and commitment to empowering and supporting its members, and congratulates all involved in the M Factor for this great achievement.

That the Parliament acknowledges Youth Mental Health Day, taking place on 19 September 2025; understands that research carried out by the charity, See Me, showed that 72% of young people in Scotland have struggled with their mental health; notes that 2025’s Youth Mental Health Day theme is #ShareSupport, which encourages young people and those around them to connect, share, and access clinically-informed mental health resources; understands that peer support plays a crucial role in young people’s mental health, offering a sense of connection, understanding, and shared experience that can reduce feelings of isolation; further understands that, when young people share their own coping strategies and recommendations, it not only empowers them but also provides others with relatable and practical tools to navigate their challenges, and believes that this is especially powerful when combined with tech-based mental health management resources, such as apps, which make support more accessible and tailored to individual needs.

That the Parliament congratulates the team of students from the Waid Academy, in the North East Fife constituency, on reaching the final of the UK-wide HRUC National Innovation Challenge; recognises that it was the only school from Scotland to be represented at this advanced stage of the competition; acknowledges the significance of this achievement in what it sees as a prestigious challenge designed to inspire young people to develop innovative solutions that promote sustainability; notes that the school achieved three of the 10 shortlisted places before winning a place among the final three schools; commends the team members for what it sees as their outstanding performance and creativity; understands that the teams’ project, Brickteria, proposed a sustainable approach to concrete production with reduced environmental impact; further understands that, although the team did not win the top prize, it received excellent feedback from the judging panel; believes that it represented Scotland with distinction, and commends the Waid Academy for, it believes, fostering ambition, ingenuity and environmental awareness among its students.

That the Parliament congratulates Barrhead and District Pipe Band on winning the UK Pipe Band Championships; notes that this was the first time that the band from Barrhead had taken part in the major competition; understands that the competition also included nine other extremely impressive bands from across the country and that it took place in Edinburgh; acknowledges that this is now another victory for the band after achieving success in three other outdoor competitions in Gourock, Innerleithen and Ardrossan; understands that the band has now got the upcoming Scottish Championships, taking place in Dumbarton on 26 July 2025; commends Barrhead and District Pipe Band for its hard-working attitude, which has given the band the results that it deserves while positively representing Barrhead on the national level, and wishes the band every success in all its future competitions.

That the Parliament congratulates Growers Garden on the launch of its new range of cauliflower crisps; understands that the crisps are available in over 50 Tesco stores across Scotland; recognises what it sees as the innovative approach of the business to sustainable food production, which, it believes, transforms surplus and imperfect vegetables into healthy, flavourful snacks, to reduce food waste and add value to Scotland's produce; notes that Growers Garden, which is based in the North East Fife constituency, was founded in 2019 by farmers from across the east of Scotland; understands that the company’s new product has received positive feedback; celebrates Growers Garden as, it believes, an example of how small producers can scale up and thrive with the right backing, and wishes the company continued success.

That the Parliament congratulates Kenny Addison of Graintek, Huntly, on winning a Gold Award at the Royal Highland Show for what it believes is a groundbreaking new design for a new “micro dryer”; understands that this design has a 300 kg capacity operating off a 13 amp plug, and commends Graintek for what it sees as its inventiveness.

That the Parliament expresses deep concern regarding the reported proposed downgrade of Hawick Fire Station from a two-pump wholetime and on-call station to a two-pump dayshift duty system, with nights and weekends covered only by on call firefighters; believes that this change will significantly increase the risk to public safety in Hawick and across the Scottish Borders; further believes that the proposal has been met with strong local opposition; considers that major developments in the Hawick area, including the planned Center Parcs resort and a battery energy storage system, will increase the demand for consistent and effective fire and rescue coverage; further considers that the proposal will also pose heightened risks to local businesses, which depend on timely emergency response to safeguard staff, property and operations, and that reduced fire cover might result in higher insurance premiums for businesses; believes that this might place additional financial strain on the local economy; acknowledges what it considers has been the significant and sustained underinvestment in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) since its formation in 2013; believes that this has led to over a decade of real terms budget reductions; understands with concern that, between 2012-13 and 2023-24, Scotland lost over 1,250 firefighter posts, including 729 wholetime and 368 retained operational firefighters; believes that this represented a substantial reduction in frontline capacity; notes that the SFRS resource budget for 2025-26 is set at £332.1 million; believes that this is a real terms cut of over £56 million since the service was established, and calls on the Scottish Government to recognise the reported cumulative impact of these reductions and to ensure that the outcomes of the SFRS delivery review reflect what it sees as the urgent need for investment in fire and rescue services in Hawick and the Scottish Borders, rather than further reductions in firefighter numbers and resources.

That the Parliament congratulates the Be Active Life Long (BALL) groups in Moray on their 20th anniversary; recognises the significant contribution that the BALL network has made to promoting healthy ageing, physical activity, and social connection for people aged 50 and over; notes that the movement has grown from one group of 10 people in 2005 to 18 user-led groups supporting over 1,000 participants weekly; commends Health and Social Care Moray, the BALL Forum, and the many volunteers for their support and dedication; celebrates the success of the recent anniversary event in Hopeman, which was attended by nearly 300 people, and wishes the BALL groups continued success in strengthening community wellbeing across Moray.

That the Parliament congratulates Kirkintilloch couple Fadi and Elizabeth Ghazala on raising more than £10,000 for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity through an epic cycle ride in July 2025 in honour of their baby daughter Rita, who sadly died when she was just nine days old; commends the couple for cycling 210 miles and connecting the three level four neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) across Scotland to support the Glasgow NICU with the creation of Rita’s room; notes that Rita’s room is a space for counselling and comfort for families dealing with palliative care for their child; praises the couple for also raising awareness of babies born, like Rita, with Edwards’ Syndrome, which is a rare genetic condition caused by an extra chromosome in the body’s cells; expresses sadness that, despite major gullet and windpipe surgery and an overnight emergency ventilation tube change at Glasgow’s NICU, Rita passed away on 17 December 2024, and honours the impact Rita’s short but inspirational life has made on others.