Seòmar agus comataidhean

That the Parliament notes what it sees as the public opposition to planning application 25/002688/FULL that has been submitted to Dundee City Council by McDonald's Restaurants Limited to build a drive-thru on Riverside Avenue in Dundee; understands that this would be the fourth McDonald’s restaurant in Dundee, among dozens of chain fast-food outlets in the city; condemns McDonald’s for what it believes is its record on workers’ rights and treatment, namely its reported failure to create a formal agreement with any UK trade union, reported toxic workplace culture and reports of widespread allegations of sexual harassment of staff; notes with concern what it believes is the damaging impact that ultra-processed food might have on dietary health, contributing to poor diet and rising obesity rates, including in children, and recognises the potential detrimental impact on independent businesses, local economy and local environment that chain fast-food outlets might have and the reported longstanding failure of the fast-food supply chain to deal with waste management, disposal and recycling.

That the Parliament congratulates Hermitage Park on winning its sixth Green Flag Award from the environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful; notes that the greenspace in Helensburgh has been named one of Scotland’s best for the sixth year in a row; understands that a £3 million renewal took place at the park, which was financed by the National Lottery's Heritage Lottery Fund and other local and national bodies; acknowledges the regeneration project, which included the construction of a new pavilion, the restoration of the A-listed war memorial and the upgrading of greenery, and appreciates the opportunities that it believes greenspaces provide to enable exercise, improve mental wellbeing and provide safe spaces that residents can rely on and benefit from in the years to come.

That the Parliament congratulates NHS Lanarkshire on being shortlisted as a finalist at the Health Service Journal Patient Safety Awards 2025; understands that the NHS board has been recognised in the Maternity and Midwifery Services Initiative of the Year category for its project, From Conception to Birth – A Quality Improvement Journey Towards Holistic Antenatal Care; notes that NHS Lanarkshire is the only NHS Scotland board to reach this year's finals and believes that this national recognition reflects its outstanding commitment to improving patient safety and driving innovation in healthcare; recognises that the Patient Safety Awards celebrate teams and individuals who go above and beyond to protect patients from harm, reduce risk and embed a culture of safety across the UK healthcare sector; applauds everyone involved in what it sees as this invaluable project, including midwifery, obstetrics and wider teams, and thanks them for making a real difference in supporting safer, more holistic care from the earliest stages of pregnancy and for placing women and families at the heart of maternity care, and wishes NHS Lanarkshire every success at the upcoming awards ceremony.

That the Parliament congratulates owners Caitlyn and John on the opening of The Bookmonger in Bearsden; notes that the business venture is a family-run shop rooted in both Scotland and the USA, which has been created from a shared love of books, storytelling, fine wine and artisan cheese; celebrates the creation of what it sees as a welcoming space where creativity and community can flourish; understands that the shop will cater for bespoke charcuterie boards, wine tastings and author events, and organise a monthly reading group, known as The Bookmonger Society; acknowledges the goal of bringing people together through shared experiences and passions, and extends its best wishes for the continued success and growth of what it believes is this unique and inspiring enterprise.

That the Parliament congratulates Edzell Village Improvement Society on the presentation of its inaugural Community Connecting Children’s Award; understands that the award was established by the Edzell Village Improvement Society to support children at Edzell Primary School in carrying out volunteering activities at some of the village's community groups, including Edzell Community Lunch, Edzell Toddler Group, Edzell Charity Shop, Edzell Health Walk and many others; notes that the Community Connecting Children’s Award was open to all children in P5 to P7, with 47 children taking part during and after school time; congratulates the winner, Sophia Sinclair, and runner-up, Harrison Stanaway, who both received their prizes at Edzell Primary School’s end of term service, and applauds the efforts of all the children who took part to support their local community.

That the Parliament congratulates the Waid Academy students, Lucas Bain and Murray Allan, on reaching the final three schools in the UK HRUC National Innovation Challenge, with their innovative project, Brickteria; commends the hard work, creativity and innovative thinking of the students on their project, which developed a sustainable approach to concrete making with a reduced environmental impact; recognises Mrs Neill, a biology teacher, who provided invaluable support to the students throughout the competition; notes that Waid Academy was the only school in Scotland represented in the final, and wishes the students the best of luck in their future endeavours.

That the Parliament congratulates the Earlston-based, Terra Mechanica Maris Ltd, in recognition of its nomination in the Outstanding SME category at the Scottish Green Energy Supply Chain Awards 2025; recognises that the nomination reflects the company’s commitment to driving innovation, sustainability and resilience in Scotland’s green energy sector; understands that the business is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation, applying cutting-edge mechanical principles to drive progress in the maritime sector; praises Garry McGowan, managing director, and Declan Duncan, director of business development, for their commitment to driving the company forward, and wishes the team success in their future plans and growth.

That the Parliament congratulates LIFT D&G (Lochside is Families Together) on another excellent annual gala day, which took place on 12 July 2025 in the beautiful sunshine at the YMCA former Lochside Primary School site; understands that this local community group, which was founded in 2016, has volunteers who live in the Lochside community in Dumfries, where they strive to serve the needs of the local people; notes that this year’s gala was circus themed with an array of activities, including Spinny Jenny with her bag of tricks, Bruce's bike, Potts amusements, stalls and a tombola, artists' tent and t-shirt painting, pizza making, crazy critters and much more for everyone of all ages to enjoy; understands that LIFT’s mission is to challenge social issues with creativity, compassion and inclusivity by designing activities that breakdown barriers and build lasting connections across generations; recognises LIFT’s other current projects, such as the Nature and Nurture Area (NANA’s Park), including the mini NANA projects in the schools that LIFT supports, and the Cabin and Community Exchange, and wishes the LIFT team and the projects continued success and all the very best for the future.

That the Parliament recognises Forth Valley College’s pilot mentorship programme, which has been delivered in partnership with MCR Pathways; understands that the programme extends MCR Pathways’ award-winning relationship-based mentoring model into the further education environment and that this will enable students to benefit from positive mentoring relationships as they transition to college and their new learning environment; notes that the programme, which is currently delivered in schools across Scotland, will now be adapted to serve college students who benefit from additional support, as well as young people from care-experienced backgrounds, to support them to overcome challenges faced when entering the further education environment; welcomes programmes like MCR Pathways’ mentorship scheme and the positive impact it believes that it has had in empowering students and young people to realise their full potential, and wishes everyone involved in the pilot every success as it develops.

That the Parliament commends members of the team at Dunbar RNLI on their steadfast commitment to safety at sea in their  local area through their “one crew” commitment, and welcomes their efforts to recruit women to the volunteer crews; believes that Dunbar lifeboat station is one of the oldest in Scotland operating two lifeboats, the Trent class all-weather lifeboat, John Neville Taylor, which is moored at Torness power station, and the D-class inshore lifeboat, David Lauder, which launches from Dunbar harbour, and commends the station’s fundraising committee after members were crowned “charity champions” in the East Lothian Courier Community Champion Awards.