Where the text of a motion or amendment is altered, the motion or amendment is re-printed with the changes marked by asterisks in the text.

Where a motion or amendment attracts additional support after it is first published, that additional support is shown separately at the end of this section.

Motions eligible for consideration for debate as members’ business in the Parliament are marked with a hash symbol (#).

Motions submitted for members’ business in the Parliament but which have not yet received the requisite cross-party support are marked with a diamond symbol (♦).

Motions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an "R".

An indication is also provided where motions and amendments have been withdrawn.

A full list of current motions is available to view each Monday in paper copy at the Chamber Desk or alternatively on the Scottish Parliament web site at Current Motions

(http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/motionsAndAmendments/motions.htm). A search facility is also available on the Scottish Parliament web site at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/motionsAndAmendments/index.htm

New and altered motions and amendments

*S3M-2992 Margaret Mitchell: Voluntary and Public Sector Awards—That the Parliament welcomes the inaugural Herald Society Awards, presented in conjunction with the Big Lottery Fund; congratulates all the winners of the 2008 awards; acknowledges that these awards recognise inspirational work and achievement in a wide range of categories by individuals and teams from the public and voluntary sectors, and believes that it is appropriate that success stories are celebrated and shared.

*S3M-2991♦ Patrick Harvie: Communities Leading on Climate Change—That the Parliament congratulates the community groups around Scotland, such as the Toryglen Gardening Club in Glasgow, that have made successful applications to the Climate Challenge Fund; notes that the fund makes available £27.4 million over three years to support community-led efforts to make serious carbon reductions across Scotland; believes that Scotland’s diverse communities can play an important role in carbon innovation, and believes that projects supported by the fund can also help build community cohesion, tackle social exclusion and build sustainable local economies.

*S3M-2989 Sandra White: Size Does Matter—That the Parliament welcomes the publication of the EIS report, The Case for Reducing Class Sizes in Scotland’s Schools, supporting the case for a reduction in class sizes; notes that studies have shown that smaller class sizes result in higher attainment levels, particularly among those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and an improvement in pupil behaviour, motivation and self-image, and urges all parties involved in the delivery of smaller class sizes to work together to give all children in Scotland the opportunity to realise their full potential.

*S3M-2988 Gil Paterson on behalf of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee: Audit Committee - Title and Remit—That the Parliament notes the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s 8th Report, 2008 (Session 3), Audit Committee - Title and Remit (SP Paper 151), and agrees that the changes to Standing Orders set out in Annexe A to the report be made with effect from 11 December 2008.

Supported by: Marilyn Livingstone*

*S3M-2987 Gil Paterson on behalf of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee: Elections to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body—That the Parliament notes the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s 1st Report, 2008 (Session 3), Elections to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SP Paper 47), and agrees that the changes to Standing Orders set out in Annexe A to the report be made with effect from 11 December 2008.

Supported by: Marilyn Livingstone*

*S3M-2986 Peter Peacock: Bull Hire Scheme—That the Parliament recognises the enormous benefits brought to cattle quality and cattle health throughout the Highlands and Islands as a result of the Bull Hire Scheme operated by the Crofters Commission over many years; welcomes the potential for improved markets and prices obtained from good-quality, health-certified stock; notes the practical arrangements that the scheme offers to allow good over-wintering provisions and health checks for the bulls, which might otherwise be beyond the reach of many crofters; regards the scheme as a sensible and practical way that government can support small-scale and remotely-located crofting enterprise; notes the widespread concern of cattle-breeding crofters about the proposal to end the scheme, and urges the Scottish Government to reconsider its decision to end the Bull Hire Scheme and commit to retaining a scheme as a sound and practical way of supporting crofters and quality cattle production in some of our most remote Highlands and Islands areas.

Supported by: Rhoda Grant*, David Stewart*, Sarah Boyack*, Elaine Murray*

*S3M-2985# Mary Mulligan: Young Roots Films of Woodland in Scotland—That the Parliament congratulates the Woodland Trust Scotland and pupils of Bathgate Academy, Deans Community High, Inveralmond Community High, Linlithgow Academy and Whitburn Academy for producing the Young Roots videos, representing various views of local woodlands; recognises that this has helped the young people to understand the contribution of woodland to their environment and to gain skills on film-making, and hopes that the videos can be made available to school and community groups across Scotland to raise awareness of the many woodlands throughout Scotland.

*S3M-2984 Jim Hume: Congratulations to TD1 Radio - Community Radio for Galashiels—That the Parliament congratulates the team at TD1 Radio on its successful efforts to launch TD1 Community Radio for Galashiels on 1 December 2008; recognises the significance that this community-owned and led radio project will play in reflecting local views, and wishes all at TD1 Radio well in their future work.

*S3M-2983 Keith Brown: A St Andrew’s Day Belter for Kinross—That the Parliament congratulates the residents of Kinross postcode KY13 8?? on winning the biggest ever prize of £1 million in the People’s Postcode Lottery draw and wishes them a very happy St Andrew’s Day.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn*, Bob Doris*, Alasdair Allan*, Kenneth Gibson*, Bill Kidd*, Christine Grahame*, Christina McKelvie*, Roseanna Cunningham*, Alex Neil*, Stuart McMillan*

*S3M-2982 Willie Coffey: Cadet Heather Stupart of Newmilns—That the Parliament joins Flight Lieutenant Downie and the officers and members of 327 (Kilmarnock) Squadron of the Air Cadets in acknowledging the passing of Cadet Heather Stupart of Newmilns, who died on 20 October 2008, aged 15; notes that Heather was a valued member of the squadron and was a member of the drill team that won the Glasgow and West Scotland Wing competition in 2007; further notes that, having been diagnosed in July 2007 with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare cancer of the bone and soft tissue that affects mainly teenagers, and despite her gruelling treatment, Heather always had a smile on her face and continued to attend the squadron as often as was possible, and expresses its condolences to Heather’s parents, Nadine and John, her sisters, Emma and Rachel, and her brother, Sean, who, it is noted, has followed Heather into 327 (Kilmarnock) Squadron of the Air Cadets.

*S3M-2981 Stuart McMillan: British Government Invoke Anti-Terrorist Legislation on Iceland—That the Parliament notes with concern the news that the British Government has invoked anti-terrorist legislation, which many people believe is perceived to be aimed at Iceland through freezing the funds owned, held or controlled by the Icelandic bank, Landsbanki, and acknowledges that people in Iceland, through the petition website www.indefence.is, which has over 80,000 signatures, believe that the British Government is acting indiscriminately and affecting the interests of Iceland, its actions serving only to exacerbate the problems for Iceland during the current difficult economic climate.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan*, Michael Matheson*, Bob Doris*, Brian Adam*, Bill Wilson*, Christina McKelvie*, Bill Kidd*

*S3M-2980 Christina McKelvie: The Union Deficit—That the Parliament notes with concern the warning by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that the United Kingdom is heading towards a "severe" economic downturn in 2009 and the forecast by the International Monetary Fund that foresees a 1.3% fall in output in 2009; is further concerned that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has failed to address the justifiable concerns about the economy and the deleterious effects on Scotland of the policies of Her Majesty’s Government; reflects that the supposed "union dividend" has been proven to be the "union deficit", and considers that Scotland would be better off independent.

*S3M-2979 Angela Constance: Congratulations to PASTA—That the Parliament congratulates the Parents and Staff Teachers Association (PASTA) of Pinewood School in West Lothian on successfully raising in excess of £100,000 to build a new playground; celebrates PASTA’s success in ITV’s Big Lottery Fund competition – People’s Millions, securing £50,000 as a result of a public vote; notes that this ambitious project will build a new playground that meets the needs of children with a range of additional learning needs, including learning and physical disabilities; commends the West Lothian Courier and the people of West Lothian for their support, and praises the individual endeavours of Angela Bruty, Lynsey Findlay and other parents who have campaigned tirelessly to ensure that their children get access to the play provision that they need and deserve.

Supported by: Bill Kidd*, Robin Harper*, Sandra White*, Kenneth Gibson*, Michael Matheson*, Shirley-Anne Somerville*

*S3M-2978 Bashir Ahmad: Zimbabwe’s Cholera Epidemic—That the Parliament notes with concern the rising cholera-related death toll in Zimbabwe; expresses its worry that the actual figure may be as high as 3,000, as reported on 27 November 2007 by a senior official in Zimbabwe’s Health Ministry, and, as Oxfam has reported, a further one million Zimbabweans are at risk; expresses further concern that Robert Mugabe’s regime is reportedly silencing health workers and restricting access to the huge number of death certificates that give the cause of death as cholera-related; believes that, with Harare’s Central Hospital officially closed, the situation is dire, and calls on the international community to step up pressure on Zimbabwe’s president to allow international aid and medicine to enter the country.

*S3M-2977 Christina McKelvie: Remembering the Holocaust—That the Parliament welcomes the funding from the Scottish Government for school pupils to travel to Auschwitz and the agreement between the Scottish Government, the Holocaust Educational Trust and COSLA to organise that travel; notes that this is the first time that a Scottish administration has provided funding directly to this project, and hopes that each new generation in Scotland renews the collective memory of the World War II Holocaust and commits to ensuring that it can never be repeated.

S3M-2976 Robert Brown: Age of Criminal Responsibility in Scotland—That the Parliament notes the comments made by the Lord Advocate to the Justice Committee, at its meeting on 25 November 2008, on the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland; believes that prosecuting children as young as eight in the adult courts is highly inappropriate and that such cases should always be dealt with by the children’s hearing system, which can put in place appropriate arrangements to tackle the root causes of offending and criminality in children, including detention in secure accommodation in the most serious cases where such a decision is in the public interest; notes that the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has called for the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland to be raised; notes that this age is 15 in Scandinavian countries and ranges from 13 to 18 in most other European countries, and urges the Scottish Government to consult as soon as possible on the implications of raising the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland and otherwise complying with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn*

S3M-2975 Brian Adam: Congratulations to Aberdeen City Council on Reducing the City’s Carbon Footprint—That the Parliament congratulates Aberdeen City Council for winning the Guardian Newspaper Public Services Innovation and Progress Sustainability Award for its work in reducing the city’s carbon footprint.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn*

S3M-2974 Kenneth Gibson: Learning About the Holocaust—That the Parliament welcomes the announcement by the Scottish Government that funding is to be made available for the Holocaust Educational Trust to offer pupils representing all secondary schools the opportunity to participate in visits to Auschwitz to learn about the Holocaust and encourages the Scottish Government, local government and the Holocaust Educational Trust to work together to ensure participation across as wide a range of schools as possible.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn*, Bill Kidd*, Alasdair Allan*, Shirley-Anne Somerville*, Bob Doris*, Bill Wilson*, Stuart McMillan*, Jackson Carlaw*, Ken Macintosh*, Christina McKelvie*, Robin Harper*, Roseanna Cunningham*

S3M-2973 Jamie Hepburn: Towards Independence for Greenland—That the Parliament congratulates the people of Greenland on their historic vote for increased autonomy from Denmark; notes that some 75% of voters favoured the proposals to transfer a range of powers including those over police, courts and coastguard as well as a share of oil revenues to the island; welcomes this peaceful and democratic transfer of powers, and believes that this demonstrates that even in times of global economic uncertainty nations can move forward constitutionally.

Supported by: Sandra White*, Alex Neil*, Alasdair Allan*, Bob Doris*, Aileen Campbell*, Kenneth Gibson*, Bashir Ahmad*, Rob Gibson*, Christine Grahame*, Bill Kidd*, Shirley-Anne Somerville*, Bill Wilson*, Stuart McMillan*, Christina McKelvie*, Roseanna Cunningham*

S3M-2972 Jack McConnell: The Star Award for SQA Champion to Janet Allardice—That the Parliament congratulates Janet Allardice of Dalziel High School on being the recent recipient of the Star Award for SQA Champion for her dedication to championing SQA qualifications during her 33-year career and recognises that her inspirational guidance and commitment have touched thousands, allowing her to, amongst other things, lead her co-workers to develop higher standards in business education and prepare her students to achieve their standard grades.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn*

S3M-2971 Stuart McMillan: Right of Suffrage—That the Parliament notes with concern the recent reports about convicted prisoners having the right to vote and agrees that with rights come responsibilities but considers that when a person is convicted some rights should be removed, including the right of suffrage.

Supported by: Kenneth Gibson*, Brian Adam*

*S3M-2971.1 Patrick Harvie: Right of Suffrage—As an amendment to motion (S3M-2971) in the name of Stuart McMillan, leave out from "agrees" to end and insert "considers that the increasing use of non-custodial sentences raises a question as to why only prisoners, and not other convicted offenders, should be prevented from voting, and further considers that, even if the bar on prisoners voting remains, a distinction must be made between prisoners serving long sentences who cannot expect to be at liberty during the electoral term in question and those serving a very short sentence that simply happens to coincide with a particular election."

S3M-2970 Karen Whitefield: Harthill Footbridge—That the Parliament welcomes the opening of the new Harthill M8 footbridge; congratulates the previous Labour/Liberal Democrat administration on the work that it carried out to ensure that the new footbridge would be completed; congratulates the previous Minister for Transport, Tavish Scott MSP, for having the ambition to ensure that the bridge was built to such high design standards, and believes that it will become an iconic feature in Lanarkshire.

S3M-2969 Gavin Brown: Caring Christmas Trees—That the Parliament recognises the efforts of Bethany Christian Trust and congratulates it on its Caring Christmas Trees programme; notes that, through the assistance of 500 volunteers, the programme provides nearly 4,000 Christmas trees to Edinburgh and Fife residents while simultaneously raising money to provide food, shelter and advice to homeless individuals during the winter months; welcomes the fact that the programme has been franchised to Gowrie Care in Dundee, Impact Arts in Glasgow and Kibble in Paisley, and urges all those planning to purchase a Christmas tree this December to consider supporting the goals of the Caring Christmas Trees initiative to provide much-needed support to vulnerable individuals in these communities.

Supported by: Robin Harper, Stuart McMillan, Mike Pringle, Mr Frank McAveety, Murdo Fraser, Ian McKee, Elizabeth Smith, Nanette Milne, Bill Aitken, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Jamie McGrigor, John Lamont, Dr Richard Simpson*, Bill Kidd*, David McLetchie*, Jackie Baillie*, Jackson Carlaw*, Ken Macintosh*, John Park*, Jamie Hepburn*, Mary Mulligan*, Sandra White*

S3M-2968 Keith Brown: Peru Today, Scotland Tomorrow?—That the Parliament notes the decision of FIFA, the international football governing body, to suspend the Peruvian national football association as of 25 November 2008, removing its right to participate in international tournaments; notes with alarm that this was triggered by excessive political intervention by the Peruvian Government, including pressure to elect a national association president of the government’s choice; believes that there are disturbing parallels between this intervention and the pressure being exerted by the UK Government on the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish associations to accept a combined Great Britain Olympic football team, and calls on the UK Government to abandon this stance and allow all football associations on these islands to act without politically-motivated coercion.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Joe FitzPatrick, Bashir Ahmad, Roseanna Cunningham, Jamie Hepburn, Brian Adam, Stuart McMillan, Bob Doris*, Bill Kidd*, Gil Paterson*, Ian McKee*, Alex Neil*, Aileen Campbell*, Rob Gibson*, Christine Grahame*, Michael Matheson*, Kenneth Gibson*, Sandra White*, Bill Wilson*, Shirley-Anne Somerville*, Christina McKelvie*

S3M-2967 Patrick Harvie: International Students and ID Cards—That the Parliament notes that all non-EU nationals renewing their visas after this week will be required by the UK Government to buy an ID card and that this particularly affects international students studying in Scotland; shares the previous Scottish Executive’s view, supported by the Parliament in 2005, that ID cards must not be required for the use of devolved services; notes that, while immigration is currently reserved, universities and education are devolved services; believes that international students contribute substantially to Scottish society and the Scottish economy, and urges the Scottish Government to provide whatever advice and support it can for such students studying in Scottish universities and colleges if they refuse to comply with the ID card scheme.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Alex Neil

S3M-2964 Rob Gibson: Women’s Welfare in the Democratic Republic of Congo—That the Parliament condemns the state of women’s welfare in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the widespread systematic rape and sexual violence against women and young girls; notes the indiscriminate nature of the crime with rape victims as young as infants or as old as 80-year-old grandmothers, with many being raped by groups of soldiers and others held as sex slaves; highlights the reported 40,000 victims of sexual violence that were treated in UN and partnered medical centres in 2007 and notes that experts believe this to be only a fraction of the actual number of victims; applauds campaigns such as the Enough Project, which aims to empower Congolese women and girls to put an end to assaults of sexual violence; calls for an end to rape being used as a weapon of war by all armed groups, and finally hails the courageous women of the DRC who are making their voices heard by the international community and demonstrating against this ongoing campaign of physical, psychological and social assault.

Supported by: Jack McConnell, Jamie Hepburn, Robin Harper, Bashir Ahmad, Alex Neil, Christopher Harvie*, Kenneth Gibson*, Jackie Baillie*, Bill Kidd*, Joe FitzPatrick*, Ken Macintosh*, Stuart McMillan*, Bob Doris*, Hugh O’Donnell*, Christina McKelvie*, Shirley-Anne Somerville*, Roseanna Cunningham*, Patrick Harvie*, Trish Godman*

S3M-2963 Robin Harper: Redevelopment of School Playing Fields—That the Parliament notes with concern the redevelopment of school playing fields across Scotland and the consequent loss of facilities for schools and communities; considers that the omission of Fields in Trust (FIT) Scotland, previously known as the National Playing Fields Association, as a mandatory consultee on all playing field development proposals is a bizarre anomaly, and believes that FIT Scotland should be accorded mandatory consultee status by the Scottish Government without delay.

S3M-2962 Brian Adam: AFS Alcohol Support Online—That the Parliament congratulates Alcohol Focus Scotland and Alcohol Support Ltd, Aberdeen, on launching a new pilot online support service for the people of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, AFS Alcohol Support Online, which can be found at www.alcoholsupport.co.uk, and believes that this interactive website will form a valuable tool in the range of services that are provided to help those who wish to talk to someone about their or another person’s drinking and will reduce barriers to gaining free and confidential advice from trained counsellors for those who live in rural areas, young people and disabled people.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Alex Neil

S3M-2957# Lewis Macdonald: Aberdeen Forensic Science Laboratory—That the Parliament notes the proposals made by the Scottish Police Services Authority for the closure of the forensic science laboratory in Aberdeen; welcomes the direction issued by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to the authority in May 2008 that it should engage in fresh consultation with interested parties; considers, with regret, that the authority’s consultation document published in November 2008 amounts to no more than a further case for closure; believes that the authority has thereby appeared to suggest that the conclusion of its consultation has already been determined in favour of closure, and further believes that the continued provision of forensic services to Grampian Police and Northern Constabulary by the forensic laboratory in Aberdeen is one of a number of options worthy of proper consideration in a meaningful consultation process.

Supported by: Richard Baker, Nanette Milne, George Foulkes, Michael McMahon, Mike Rumbles, Elaine Murray, Helen Eadie, Trish Godman, Robin Harper*, Alison McInnes*, Mary Mulligan*

S3M-2956 Jamie Hepburn: Red Cross Report - What We Do in Scotland—That the Parliament congratulates the Red Cross for its What we do in Scotland report; notes that the activities of the Red Cross are provided by a local network of more than 4,000 volunteers, supported by more than 400 members of staff, helping around 100,000 people in crisis in Scotland every year; welcomes the cooperation of the Red Cross with the Scottish Ambulance Service in the operation of four Community First Responder schemes in Kyle of Lochalsh, Aberdeen, Forth Valley and Grangemouth, a model of cooperation replicated in its work with HM Coastguard in providing support to those rescued in emergency situations; supports the Red Cross programmes of first aid instruction, including working with Deafblind Scotland for a specific course for deafblind adults, and looks forward to the continued work of the Red Cross in future years.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Aileen Campbell, Nanette Milne, Elizabeth Smith, Mike Pringle, Pauline McNeill, Brian Adam, Christine Grahame, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Bill Kidd, Alex Neil, Liam McArthur, Stuart McMillan, Rob Gibson, Jackie Baillie, Keith Brown, Hugh Henry, Kenneth Gibson, Robin Harper, John Park, Trish Godman, Jack McConnell, Bill Wilson, Christina McKelvie*, Gil Paterson*, Joe FitzPatrick*

S3M-2955 Robin Harper: Scotland’s Forests—That the Parliament considers that the Forestry Commission Scotland has a central role with regard to sustainable development and to combating climate change; recognises the Scottish Government’s commitment to increase forest cover from 17% to 25% by 2020; expresses its dismay at the proposal to lease Scottish woodland to commercial companies for up to 75 years, a decision that could, in the long term, threaten productivity, employment, sustainable use of woodland and environmental policy making, and calls on the Scottish Government to withdraw forthwith from any negotiations that may have been started and to renew its commitment to continue to support the Forestry Commission Scotland’s important work on both climate change and sustainable development.

Supported by: Elaine Murray*, Mr Frank McAveety*, Jim Hume*

*S3M-2955.1 Shirley-Anne Somerville: Scotland’s Forests—As an amendment to motion (S3M-2955) in the name of Robin Harper, leave out from "expresses its dismay" to end and insert "welcomes the ongoing consultation provisions for forestry in the Scottish Climate Change Bill and the Scottish Government’s continued engagement with key forestry stakeholders; notes that the proposal to lease some woodlands would apply only to the most commercial of forests and would have no impact on the vast majority of publicly-used woodlands and none on key leisure woodlands; further notes that any proposed leases would have to include unbreakable guarantees concerning the highest standards of biodiversity, access and training and that absolutely none of Scotland’s publicly-owned forest estate would be sold as a result of these proposals, and recognises that the leasing proposal has the potential to release much-needed capital for investment in climate-change activity and could result in the creation of additional jobs in the sector as considerable new sums would be available for tree planting and other related activity."

S3M-2954 Bob Doris: Steven Taylor, Professional of the Year—That the Parliament congratulates Steven Taylor, an employee of Capita Life and Pensions, Glasgow, who was awarded the prestigious United Kingdom-wide titles of Professional of the Year - Agent and Overall Professional of the Year at the 2008 Customer Contact Association awards in Edinburgh; believes that such awards demonstrate Steven’s hard work, commitment, ability and professionalism, and further believes that such an accolade going to an employee of a Scottish-based firm sends out a strong signal as to the quality, skill and dedication of a Scottish-based workforce, which is vital not only in terms of maintaining Scottish jobs but also in expanding Scotland’s jobs base.

Supported by: Aileen Campbell, Bashir Ahmad, Jamie McGrigor, John Park, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Christina McKelvie*, Gil Paterson*

S3M-2953 Alex Neil: Dependent Britain—That the Parliament notes that , as a result of the pre-Budget report announced on 24 November 2008 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer , the estimated budget deficit for the UK Government will rise to over 8% of GDP in 2010 and the national debt will rise to nearly 60% of GDP, with both these figures excluding the billions required to pay off the debts arising from PPP/PFI commitments and the bail out of the banks; notes that the United Kindgom’s credit rating has now been downgraded to being, apart from Italy, the lowest in the developed world; deduces that, based on previous statements made by the unionist Labour, Liberal and Tory parties about the economic viability of an independent Scotland, the United Kingdom can no longer survive as a politically-independent state, and therefore invites those parties to advise which other nation should now assume responsibility for running Britain.

Supported by: Margo MacDonald, Jamie Hepburn, Aileen Campbell, Joe FitzPatrick, Bashir Ahmad, Brian Adam, Bill Wilson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Stuart McMillan, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Christine Grahame, Rob Gibson, Christina McKelvie*, Gil Paterson*

S3M-2952 Rob Gibson: DR Congo Conflict—That the Parliament expresses its dismay that an estimated 250,000 civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have had to flee their homes and are living in desperate conditions following the latest outbreak of violence in eastern DRC; notes that these refugees are joining more than one million civilians already displaced in the region; commends the aim of the world’s largest UN peacekeeping force of 17,000, which is attempting to secure an end to the DRC’s lengthy civil war and ultimately disarm and re-integrate rebel forces into a joint defence force for the region; further notes that the civil war has already caused more than three million deaths, mainly due to starvation and disease, with around 1,200 people dying each day as a direct or indirect result of the conflict; applauds the Disasters Emergency Committee Democratic Republic of Congo appeal, which brings together a unique alliance of the international aid, corporate, public and broadcasting sectors to rally funds and ensure that they go to delivering life-saving food, water, shelter and emergency medical supplies to those affected, and, finally, highlights the critical scale of the crisis, signalling that much more is needed from the international community in order to end the conflict and rebuild the DRC.

Supported by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, Joe FitzPatrick, Alasdair Allan, Bob Doris, Bashir Ahmad, Mike Pringle, Jamie Hepburn, Aileen Campbell, Des McNulty, Brian Adam, Keith Brown, Christopher Harvie, Ken Macintosh, Hugh Henry, Robin Harper, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Jack McConnell, Hugh O’Donnell, Bill Wilson, Gil Paterson*, Stuart McMillan*

S3M-2951 Aileen Campbell: UK Fails in Duties Under the Ottawa Convention—That the Parliament notes the publication of the Landmine Monitor 2008 by the Nobel Peace Prize winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), which confirms that the UK Government has failed in its duty, under the Ottawa Convention on landmines, to clear the Falkland Islands of such munitions; further notes that the UK Government has already applied for an additional 10 years in which to complete this process; shares the ICBL’s belief that this lack of progress is disappointing, and calls on the UK Government to set a firm deadline for clearing the Falkland Islands of landmines.

Supported by: Bob Doris, Rob Gibson, Jamie Hepburn, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Stuart McMillan, Kenneth Gibson, Alex Neil, Robin Harper, Bill Kidd, Christina McKelvie*, Gil Paterson*

S3M-2949 Karen Whitefield: SQA Star Awards and North Lanarkshire School Bands—That the Parliament congratulates the members of the North Lanarkshire jazz band and the duo of Marina Kelmann and Emma Gilchrist for their outstanding performances during the recent SQA Awards; recognises the very high standard of the music performed by them on the night, and further congratulates North Lanarkshire Council’s Department of Learning and Leisure for all the support that it has provided to enable such a high standard of performance.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, Alex Neil, Elaine Smith

S3M-2948 Karen Whitefield: SQA Star Award for Partnership of the Year to Coatbridge College—That the Parliament congratulates Coatbridge College on its recent success in winning the SQA Star Award for Partnership of the Year for the work that it has carried out to help the Polish community in Airdrie and Coatbridge to learn English; recognises that this work is carried out on a collaborative basis with SQA, local employers, educational professionals and members of the polish community, and wishes all those involved in the initiative every success for the future.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, Alex Neil, Elaine Smith

S3M-2947 Jamie Stone: National House Building Council’s Pride in the Job Award—That the Parliament congratulates the 30 site managers across Scotland who have recently been awarded the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) Pride in the Job Quality Awards for site management; recognises that more than 18,000 site managers compete in the awards, which are widely recognised as the most coveted and respected awards in the housebuilding industry; supports the aim of the awards in encouraging best practice and driving up standards in the industry, and wishes the winners luck as they proceed through further rounds of the NHBC Pride in the Job competition.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Alex Neil

S3M-2946 Sarah Boyack: 6 December 2008: A March for Effective Global Action on Climate Change—That the Parliament welcomes the march to be held in Glasgow on 6 December 2008 to coincide with the UN climate change talks in Poznań, Poland, to call for just solutions to the problem of climate change to be achieved through the UN talks and the Scottish Climate Change Bill; supports the call for urgent and resolute action to prevent the catastrophic effects of a significant increase in global temperature; calls on world leaders to adopt a common approach to tackling climate change including a strong emissions reductions treaty that is both equitable and effective in significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and welcomes the wide range of Scottish organisations giving support to the march.

Supported by: Bob Doris, John Park, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Kenneth Gibson, Patrick Harvie, Elaine Murray, Jackie Baillie, Marlyn Glen, Dr Richard Simpson, Malcolm Chisholm, Mike Pringle, Mary Mulligan, Jamie Hepburn, Ms Wendy Alexander, Mr Frank McAveety, Hugh Henry, Robin Harper, Trish Godman, Cathy Peattie, James Kelly*, Cathie Craigie*, Bill Kidd*

S3M-2945 Robin Harper: Call for Parliamentary Scrutiny of Aid Effectiveness—That the Parliament congratulates and commends the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK branch on its timely International Parliamentary Conference which was held between 17 and 21 November 2008 in the Palace of Westminster for 92 colleagues from across the Commonwealth and beyond on the scrutiny of the effectiveness of international aid; notes that, following the Accra High-Level Forum in September 2008, the conference debated the vital role of parliamentarians in donor and partner legislatures in holding their executives to account on international aid effectiveness and commitments made under the Paris Declaration in 2005; further notes that the conference discussed the need to enhance the capacity of partner parliaments to undertake more effective scrutiny; recognises an outreach responsibility in this Parliament to assist in strengthening the capacity of partner parliaments, and calls on the Scottish *Parliamentary Corporate Body* to seek a meeting between representatives of the Scottish Parliament and the Malawi Parliament’s International Relations Committee with a view to mutually improving parliamentary scrutiny of the bilateral aid agreements between Scotland and Malawi.

Supported by: Mike Pringle, John Wilson, Patrick Harvie, Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, Hugh O’Donnell, Hugh Henry, Bill Wilson, Mr Frank McAveety, Ken Macintosh*, Jackie Baillie*, Des McNulty*, Trish Godman*, Ian McKee*

S3M-2944 Irene Oldfather: The Robert Burns Humanitarian Award 2009—That the Parliament congratulates the organisers of the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award on the eighth anniversary of the event; recognises the work of the award in giving an international platform to organisations and individuals who may not have been previously recognised for their humanitarian work; notes that 2009 represents the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, and therefore welcomes the award, both as a representation of the universal ideals espoused by Robert Burns in his works of universal brotherhood and self-sacrifice and the hard work carried out by people across the world.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell

S3M-2943 Mr Frank McAveety: Molendinar Park/Moore Street Housing—That the Parliament commends the opening of the Moore Street housing development in the Gallowgate in the east end of Glasgow; compliments Molendinar Housing Association in producing a high-quality, mixed-tenure housing project that brought together four architectural practices to create a fantastic, new residential quarter in the east end; further commends the engagement with local residents in regenerating a former derelict site, and calls on the Scottish Government to learn from the experiences of organisations such as Molendinar Housing Association in how best to utilise resources for maximum benefit in the housing sector.

Supported by: Paul Martin, James Kelly, Jackie Baillie, Andy Kerr, Ken Macintosh, Des McNulty, Mary Mulligan, Hugh Henry, Trish Godman, Hugh O’Donnell

S3M-2942 Mr Frank McAveety: Emmaus—That the Parliament welcomes the opening of a new Emmaus furniture store in the east end of Glasgow; recognises the tremendous value of Emmaus in working with some of our most disadvantaged individuals and of the work done by volunteers in bringing the values of social justice exemplified by Emmaus to a wider public; appreciates the work being done by Terry Waite, the national president of Emmaus, in promoting the contribution that Emmaus can make in tackling inequality; wishes the new Bridgeton furniture superstore a positive future, and hopes that it can provide a quality service to all its customers and assist Emmaus to raise funds to assist its companion programme in Glasgow.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell

S3M-2941 Mr Frank McAveety: Govanhill Law Centre—That the Parliament welcomes the opening of the Govanhill Law Centre, a new law centre offering free legal advice to residents of Govanhill, which will work with the local community to root out slum landlords, gangmasters and organised criminals; congratulates principal solicitor Mike Dailly for his commitment to the centre; thanks Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell and Govanhill Housing Association chairperson Janice McEwan for their work on behalf of the centre; further thanks Louise Carlin of Oxfam Scotland’s Poverty Programme for the charity organisation’s ongoing support, and hopes that the Govanhill Law Centre will help empower the community to solve the problems that it faces and provide further confidence to residents in their campaign for a better Govanhill.

Supported by: Michael McMahon, Jackie Baillie, James Kelly, Dr Richard Simpson, Patrick Harvie, Paul Martin, Andy Kerr, John Park, Cathy Jamieson, Des McNulty, Mary Mulligan, Pauline McNeill, Robert Brown, Hugh Henry, Trish Godman, Jack McConnell, Gil Paterson*

S3M-2941.1 Bashir Ahmad: Govanhill Law Centre—As an amendment to motion (S3M-2941) in the name of Mr Frank McAveety, after first "thanks" insert "the Scottish Government for its considerable support for Govanhill Law Centre, shown by recently awarding it almost a quarter of a million pounds in funding and".

Supported by: Joe FitzPatrick, Bob Doris, Alasdair Allan, John Wilson, Bill Kidd, Kenneth Gibson, Rob Gibson, Christina McKelvie*, Gil Paterson*, Stuart McMillan*

S3M-2940 Marilyn Livingstone: Adam Smith College and Abertay University in Partnership—That the Parliament warmly welcomes the joint announcement by Adam Smith College, Fife, and University of Abertay Dundee of their intention to deliver enhanced degree education for learners in Kirkcaldy and Central Fife; congratulates both principals, Dr Craig Thomson of Adam Smith College and Professor Bernard King of University of Abertay Dundee for their vision on the future direction of further and higher education in Fife; believes that this partnership will offer students a greater range of degree choices and advanced study options than ever before, and believes that this unique collaboration between further and higher education establishments will enable students in Fife from less well-off backgrounds to access higher education that would otherwise be out of their reach and will in the longer term help Fife as a whole to face the challenges of an ever-changing economy and to grasp the opportunities that come from having a highly-motivated, well-educated and trained local population.

Supported by: John Park, Mary Mulligan, Elizabeth Smith, Claire Baker, Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd, Trish Godman, Robin Harper, Hugh Henry, Jackie Baillie, Jack McConnell, Gil Paterson*, Dr Richard Simpson*, Tricia Marwick*

S3M-2939 Bill Butler: Scottish Water Dispute—That the Parliament expresses its concern that Scottish Water has breached six years of constructive partnership with staff by imposing a 15-month pay rise of 3%, which equates to an annual offer of 2.4%, far short of the current rate of inflation, and as a result of this imposition staff have voted in favour of industrial action; notes that, by stark contrast, the remuneration of Scottish Water’s executive directors has risen from an average of £108,000 in 2002-03 to £172,000 in 2007-08; commends the hard work and commitment of Scottish Water staff and the world-class public service that they provide and fully understands that their decision to strike has not been taken lightly; recognises that Scottish Water is publicly owned and accountable to Scottish ministers who are also responsible for setting the pay remit and approving any pay deal, and believes that the Scottish Government should engage directly and as quickly as possible with both trade unions and Scottish Water to resolve this dispute and ensure that public servants are awarded a fair and negotiated pay settlement.

Supported by: Helen Eadie, Marlyn Glen, Des McNulty, Jackie Baillie, Elaine Murray, Michael McMahon, Dr Richard Simpson, Robin Harper, Cathy Peattie, James Kelly, Patricia Ferguson, Mr Frank McAveety, John Park, Karen Whitefield

S3M-2938 Pauline McNeill: BBC Trust Rejects £68 Million Plan—That the Parliament welcomes the decision by the BBC Trust to reject plans to spend £68 million on introducing a web-based local video service and believes that this will give an opportunity to local newspapers and online services to invest, in the knowledge that the BBC does not intend to enter this market.

Supported by: Claire Baker, Charlie Gordon, Paul Martin, Sarah Boyack, Ted Brocklebank, John Scott, Ian McKee, Jackie Baillie, Elaine Murray, David Whitton, Michael McMahon, James Kelly, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Helen Eadie, Robin Harper, John Park, Christopher Harvie, Malcolm Chisholm, Jamie McGrigor, Mary Mulligan, Karen Whitefield, Jamie Hepburn, Patricia Ferguson, Mr Frank McAveety, Trish Godman, Jack McConnell, Gil Paterson*, Stuart McMillan*

S3M-2937 John Swinney: Health Boards and Elections (Scotland) Bill: Financial Resolution—That the Parliament, for the purposes of any Act of the Scottish Parliament resulting from the Health Boards (Membership and Elections) (Scotland) Bill, agrees to any expenditure of a kind referred to in paragraph 3(b)(iii) of Rule 9.12 of the Parliament’s Standing Orders arising in consequence of the Act.

S3M-2936 Kenneth Gibson: Ban Tobacco Vending Machines—That the Parliament welcomes the British Heart Foundation’s campaign for a ban on tobacco sold from vending machines across the United Kingdom; notes that one in 10 under-age smokers in Scotland regularly buys tobacco illegally from vending machines and that this proportion could increase following the rise in the minimum legal age for purchase of tobacco; warmly welcomes the developments on tobacco control in recent years in Scotland, including the particular focus on young people in the Smoking Prevention Action Plan, and urges the Scottish Government to continue to lead the way in the United Kingdom on tobacco control by legislating for an outright ban on the sale of tobacco from vending machines in the forthcoming Health Bill.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Bashir Ahmad, Christina McKelvie, Bill Wilson, Ian McKee, Robin Harper, Jamie Hepburn, Gil Paterson*, Stuart McMillan*

S3M-2935♦ Christine Grahame: Cuiken Primary and its School Playing Field—That the Parliament notes with alarm that yet another primary school playing field, at Cuiken Primary in Penicuik, is under threat of development despite Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 11 and the presumption against building on school playing fields; notes the objection of the Penicuik and District Community Council to this proposal, and believes that there should be centralised data on the current provision of school playing fields, including location and acreage, and that sportscotland would add benefit as a mandatory consultee in any development plans that impinge on school playing fields and public open spaces.

Supported by: Michael Matheson, Bill Kidd, Robin Harper, John Wilson, Kenneth Gibson, Angela Constance, Bashir Ahmad, Aileen Campbell, Stuart McMillan, Christina McKelvie*, Gil Paterson*, Bill Wilson*

S3M-2934 Christine Grahame: For £12 Billion Big Brother Bugs You—That the Parliament condemns the British Government’s estimated £12 billion Interception Modernisation Programme currently being developed at Government Communications Headquarters, GCHQ, in Cheltenham that would intercept every telephone call, every email and retain a log of every website visited by every person in the United Kingdom; believes that this unnecessary project seriously undermines our democracy and represents a complete affront to our rights to privacy and freedom and hands the terrorists the victory that they seek by substantially changing our way of life by imposing a system that would spy and snoop on a population whom the British Government clearly no longer trusts, and urges the British Government to halt the programme and instead invest the relevant resources in vital public services and the fight against fuel, pensioner and child poverty.

Supported by: Gil Paterson, Christopher Harvie, Bashir Ahmad, Sandra White, Bill Wilson, John Wilson, Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd, Kenneth Gibson, Roseanna Cunningham, Joe FitzPatrick, Rob Gibson, Christina McKelvie, Ian McKee, Michael Matheson, Keith Brown, Jamie Hepburn, Dave Thompson*

S3M-2933 David Whitton: On Their Bikes in St Matthew’s Primary School—That the Parliament congratulates, and recognises the achievements of, St Matthew’s Primary School in Bishopbriggs for being one of the first schools in Scotland to set up a cycle train where children on bikes are escorted by volunteer rangers along a safe route to and from school; notes that the trains run every day and take the children to and from school, picking up and dropping off at their homes, and recognises the backing of East Dunbartonshire Council, Sustrans, Cycling Scotland, Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue and local firms Solid Rock Cycles and Viewfield Galleries.

Supported by: Karen Whitefield

S3M-2932# Jamie McGrigor: Future of the Bull Hire Scheme—That the Parliament notes the proposals to abolish the current Bull Hire Scheme for crofters; is aware of genuinely felt concerns among crofters over this proposal and the potentially more costly and inconvenient options that might replace the scheme; believes that the current Bull Hire Scheme has widespread support within the crofting sector and has played an extremely important part in maintaining the quality of cattle stock in the crofting counties, and further believes that some form of bull hire scheme is in the best interests of crofters and stock quality in the crofting counties.

Supported by: Murdo Fraser, Mary Scanlon, Ted Brocklebank, John Scott, John Lamont, Margaret Mitchell, Bill Aitken, Nanette Milne, Elizabeth Smith, Annabel Goldie, Christopher Harvie, Robin Harper, Liam McArthur, Peter Peacock*, Rhoda Grant*, David Stewart*

S3M-2931 John Park: Fair Tips—That the Parliament expresses concern that many employers still use tips to count towards payment of the national minimum wage; notes the recent Fair Tips campaign by Unite the Union and welcomes its calls for fair-minded employers, who treat their staff fairly, to sign up in support of the campaign; supports the Fair Tips Charter that calls on businesses to pay all employees at least the minimum wage with 100% of tips added on top as a bonus with no hidden charges, reach agreement on how tips are shared with those staff directly affected, make no deductions from tips to cover breakages, till shortages or customer walk-outs, and make all rules for the distribution of tips and service charges available in writing for staff and customers on request; further welcomes the announcement that the UK Government plans to ban employers from using tips or service charges towards payment of the national minimum wage; looks forward to the consultation on proposals to make tips fairer for staff, and congratulates Unite the Union for the success of its Fair Tips campaign.

Supported by: George Foulkes, Jackie Baillie, Ken Macintosh, Angela Constance, Andy Kerr, Joe FitzPatrick, Bob Doris, Helen Eadie, Stuart McMillan, Hugh Henry, Kenneth Gibson, Gil Paterson, Bill Wilson, Claire Baker, Cathy Jamieson, Bill Kidd, Paul Martin, Des McNulty, Rhona Brankin, James Kelly, Patrick Harvie, Michael McMahon, Mike Pringle, Elaine Murray, Malcolm Chisholm, Jim Tolson, Mr Frank McAveety, Mary Mulligan, Christina McKelvie, David Whitton, Marlyn Glen, Dr Richard Simpson, Sarah Boyack, Robin Harper, Jack McConnell, Jamie Hepburn, Trish Godman, Dave Thompson*

S3M-2930 David Whitton: Spine-chilling Local Income Tax—That the Parliament notes the words of the chairman of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce that the Scottish Government’s proposed local income tax is "positively spine chilling" in the risk that it presents to Scottish competitiveness and calls on the Scottish Government "to listen to the overwhelming view of the Scottish business community", as well as the serious concerns voiced by the trades unions, carers, and hard-working families, by ditching its local income tax now.

Supported by: Andy Kerr, James Kelly, Elaine Murray, Derek Brownlee, Des McNulty, Helen Eadie, Claire Baker, Margaret Curran, Paul Martin, Rhona Brankin, Ken Macintosh, Mary Mulligan, Mr Frank McAveety, Dr Richard Simpson, Hugh Henry, Ms Wendy Alexander, Jackie Baillie, John Park

S3M-2929 Patrick Harvie: The Arches - Best Bar None—That the Parliament congratulates the staff and management of the Arches arts venue and nightclub in Glasgow on their gold award in the nightclub category at Glasgow’s Best Bar None Awards 2008; recognises the hard work and commitment that the Arches staff have shown in achieving an excellent standard in protection of children from harm, prevention of crime and disorder, prevention of public nuisance and promotion of public health and public safety, standards that many Glasgow venues would do well to emulate; believes that this well-deserved award reinforces the position of the Arches as a vital part of Glasgow’s arts and social scene; believes that Glasgow, and in particular Glasgow City Council, should be proud of a venue that not only adds to the vibrancy of the city’s social life but also takes its responsibilities as a licensed venue so seriously, and offers the very best wishes to all at the Arches in the coming months as they look forward to festive celebrations.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Aileen Campbell, Gil Paterson, Stuart McMillan, Robin Harper

S3M-2927 John Scott: Robert Burns 250th Anniversary Souvenir Stamp—That the Parliament notes the intention of the Royal Mail to produce a Robert Burns 250th anniversary issue souvenir sheet of stamps; further notes that it is not intended that individual Burns 250th anniversary stamps be produced and that the only way in which the Burns anniversary stamp can therefore be purchased is as part of the souvenir sheet at a cost of £2.66; believes that this represents a huge missed opportunity to promote Burns in the year of Homecoming Scotland 2009, both at home and abroad, and calls on the Royal Mail to reconsider its position and to commission the issue of individual Burns 250th anniversary stamps, to be available for purchase at face value through post office branches.

Supported by: John Lamont, Jamie McGrigor, Kenneth Gibson, Gavin Brown, Rob Gibson, Alex Neil, Bill Aitken, Nanette Milne, Elizabeth Smith, Mary Scanlon, Bill Kidd, Roseanna Cunningham, Hugh O’Donnell, Shirley-Anne Somerville, David McLetchie, Gil Paterson, Brian Adam, Jamie Hepburn, Ted Brocklebank, Margaret Mitchell, Hugh Henry, Stuart McMillan, Annabel Goldie, Angela Constance, Bob Doris, Dr Richard Simpson, John Wilson, Christine Grahame, Robin Harper, Cathy Peattie, Jim Hume, Joe FitzPatrick, Willie Coffey, Dave Thompson*, Andrew Welsh*

S3M-2926# Mary Mulligan: Shelter Scotland 40 Years On—That the Parliament welcomes the publication by Shelter Scotland of the 40 Years On booklet, which marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Shelter Scotland on 3 October 1968; notes that throughout its existence Shelter Scotland has consistently spoken out on behalf of those who are homeless or in poor-quality housing; further notes that Shelter Scotland has been at the cutting edge of developing services, including the opening of housing aid centres, the rural housing initiative, care and repair schemes for older people, the launch of the Housing Law Service, the returning home initiative and the Rough Sleepers Initiative, and was instrumental in the establishment of housing associations in Scotland such as Castle Rock Housing Association, now Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association; further notes that Shelter Scotland is today the largest provider of online housing advice in the country; recognises that Shelter played a key role in the development of the Homelessness Task Force, which for the first time led to the establishment of a legal commitment to give all homeless people the right to a home by 2012, and welcomes the ongoing contribution which Shelter Scotland makes in the challenge of providing good-quality housing for all in Scotland.

Supported by: Bashir Ahmad, Jim Tolson, Kenneth Gibson, Margaret Curran, Liam McArthur, Cathy Jamieson, Marlyn Glen, John Park, David Whitton, Patricia Ferguson, Alex Neil, Nanette Milne, George Foulkes, Malcolm Chisholm, Ross Finnie, Bill Butler, Mike Pringle, Patrick Harvie, Roseanna Cunningham, Hugh O’Donnell, Christina McKelvie, Gil Paterson, Robert Brown, Jamie Hepburn, Claire Baker, Sarah Boyack, Alison McInnes, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Ms Wendy Alexander, Mr Frank McAveety, Angela Constance, Dr Richard Simpson, Christine Grahame, Cathie Craigie, Robin Harper, Jackie Baillie, Margo MacDonald, Cathy Peattie, Jack McConnell, Karen Whitefield, Dave Thompson*, Keith Brown*

S3M-2925 Cathie Craigie: 2008 Homeless World Cup Sponsorship—That the Parliament recognises the generosity of Cumbernauld-based firms Moviecom.tv and Xltec in their financial support of Scotland’s homeless football team; notes that the Homeless World Cup is an annual international football tournament uniting homeless and excluded people from around the world; looks forward to watching the online TV channel produced by Moviecom.tv for the tournament kicking off in Melbourne, Australia, on 1 December 2008, and wishes Scotland a successful repeat of its 2007 victory in the final.

Supported by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, George Foulkes, Bill Kidd, Malcolm Chisholm, James Kelly, Jamie Hepburn, David Whitton, John Park, Hugh Henry, Cathy Jamieson, Margaret Curran, Kenneth Gibson, David McLetchie, Trish Godman, Stuart McMillan, Claire Baker, Christina McKelvie, Jim Tolson, Mr Frank McAveety, Marlyn Glen, Andy Kerr, Hugh O’Donnell, Jackie Baillie, Bashir Ahmad, Mary Mulligan, Gil Paterson, Sandra White, Ken Macintosh, Christine Grahame, Robin Harper, Jamie McGrigor, Bob Doris, Jack McConnell, Elaine Murray, Keith Brown*

S3M-2924 Liam McArthur: Froglife—That the Parliament congratulates the Froglife charity on its Scottish launch, which took place at Edinburgh Zoo on Friday 14 November 2008; recognises the importance of the charity’s achievements in England, where it has a strong record of conserving habitats for amphibians, reptiles and a wide range of other species; further congratulates the charity on its excellent record of achieving its conservation aims through a process of engaging and working with a diverse section of the population, including harder-to-reach groups such as young offenders and people with learning difficulties; wishes the charity every success in its continued work, and looks forward to seeing the benefits that this work can bring to Scotland.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Keith Brown*

S3M-2923 Robert Brown: Clydeside Action on Asbestos—That the Parliament congratulates Clydeside Action on Asbestos on winning the Public Campaign of the Year at the Scottish Politician of the Year Awards 2008; notes that for 23 years the group has campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness of asbestos-related diseases and to fight for the rights of victims of asbestos exposure; further notes the group’s successful campaign to secure the Rights of Relatives to Damages (Mesothelioma) (Scotland) Act 2007, which means that victims no longer have to decide whether to claim damages for themselves or wait so that their relatives can claim after their death with the possibility of obtaining a greater level of compensation; welcomes also the campaign to secure the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Bill, which will restore the right to claim damages to those who suffer from pleural plaques as a result of exposure to asbestos, and looks forward to a time when the work of Clydeside Action on Asbestos and other asbestos campaign groups is no longer needed.

Supported by: Des McNulty, Jamie Hepburn, Ken Macintosh, John Wilson, Mr Frank McAveety, Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd, Ross Finnie, Roseanna Cunningham, James Kelly, Patrick Harvie, Hugh O’Donnell, John Park, Mike Pringle, Alison McInnes, Kenneth Gibson, Sandra White, Nigel Don, Dr Richard Simpson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Hugh Henry, Bill Wilson, Jackie Baillie, Rob Gibson, Bob Doris, Angela Constance, Andrew Welsh, Joe FitzPatrick, Charlie Gordon, Bill Butler, Christina McKelvie, Christine Grahame, Robin Harper, Gil Paterson, Cathy Peattie

S3M-2920 Bill Wilson: Fishermen and International Observers Kidnapped by Israel—That the Parliament condemns the reported illegal kidnapping of 14 Gazan fishermen and three international observers, including Andrew Muncie of Scotland; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all the observers and fishermen, and further calls on the Israeli Government to apologise for its actions in this matter.

Supported by: Pauline McNeill, Jim Hume, Sandra White, Bob Doris, Hugh O’Donnell, Bashir Ahmad, Bill Kidd, Brian Adam, Gil Paterson, Robin Harper

S3M-2913 John Farquhar Munro: National School for Crofting—That the Parliament urges the Scottish Government to conduct a feasibility study into the establishment of a national school for crofting to teach traditional and modern crofting techniques and to provide a centre of excellence in research and development into agricultural methods in marginal rural areas; suggests that the money from the sales of Beechwood, Knocknagael and Balrobert farms, if they are sold, could be ring-fenced to purchase a new property in the west to be used as the campus for the project; believes that a new farm could be the basis for a renewed bull hire stud, and further believes that the establishment of a national school for crofting would play a major role in the future of crofting and help secure the economic and social future of the crofting counties.

S3M-2911 Aileen Campbell: UK Immigration Minister’s Comments on Asylum and Immigration—That the Parliament notes with serious concern comments by the UK immigration minister, Phil Woolas MP, that migration lawyers and non-governmental organisations supporting asylum seekers are "playing the system" and give "false hope" to immigrants and asylum seekers in the United Kingdom; believes that Scotland and the United Kingdom have a moral duty to provide asylum for people escaping human rights abuses and a sound case for accepting migrants with a positive contribution to make to our economy; deplores the use of provocative or prejudiced language in any debate about immigration policy, and further believes that if Phil Woolas’s statement is reflective of UK Government policy it serves only to emphasise the need for power over immigration and asylum policy in Scotland to be devolved to the Parliament.

Supported by: Sandra White, Christopher Harvie, Alasdair Allan, Bill Kidd, Bashir Ahmad, Jamie Hepburn, Patrick Harvie, Brian Adam, Bill Wilson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Christina McKelvie, Bob Doris, Stuart McMillan, Roseanna Cunningham, Gil Paterson, Michael Matheson, Keith Brown*

S3M-2910 Gavin Brown: Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition—That the Parliament commends the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition for its excellent work in delivering on its core objective of raising the profile of Scottish social enterprises in Scotland; congratulates it on the successful launch, on 1 November 2008, of its ambitious new Christmas web page venture, www.s2stradefair.com, produced in partnership with award-winning social enterprise Forth Sector, which advertises a range of Christmas presents available from social enterprises across Scotland, and wishes the coalition every success with this venture as it explores the further potential of developing this concept into an online trading directory of social enterprises for Scotland.

Supported by: Patrick Harvie, Nanette Milne, Elizabeth Smith, Bob Doris, Jamie McGrigor, Keith Brown, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Aitken, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Murdo Fraser, Bill Kidd, John Lamont, Bashir Ahmad, Hugh O’Donnell, Jackson Carlaw, Sandra White, John Park, Alex Neil, Jamie Hepburn, Hugh Henry, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Mr Frank McAveety, Annabel Goldie, Ken Macintosh, Robin Harper, Jack McConnell, Dave Thompson

S3M-2909 Michael Matheson: Keep London Olympics’ Toxic Waste Out of Falkirk—That the Parliament notes the reports of a proposal to dump contaminated soil from the London Olympics site in the Falkirk area; recognises the widespread local opposition to the proposal; calls on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to ensure that no such disposal takes place in the Falkirk area or elsewhere in Scotland, and believes that such contaminated soil would be more appropriately disposed of at a site closer to its origin.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Aileen Campbell, Christina McKelvie, Hugh O’Donnell, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Alasdair Allan, Sandra White, Gil Paterson, Alex Neil, Keith Brown, John Wilson, Roseanna Cunningham, Stuart McMillan, Rob Gibson, Bashir Ahmad, Robin Harper, Ian McKee, Cathy Peattie

S3M-2908 Dr Richard Simpson: Model Alcohol Workplace Policy—That the Parliament welcomes the publication of a model alcohol policy for the workplace developed by the Scottish Government and Alcohol Industry Partnership in conjunction with the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives and hopes that all employers will adopt this or similar policies to help in changing the culture and attitudes towards alcohol in Scotland.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell

S3M-2907 Sarah Boyack: Scotland’s Tribute to One of the Most Influential Scientists of All Time—That the Parliament welcomes the James Clerk Maxwell statue, produced by Alexander Stoddart and to be unveiled on 25 November 2008 in George Street, Edinburgh, by the Presiding Officer of the Parliament; recognises that Clerk Maxwell is one of the most influential scientists of all time with his work laying the foundations for the modern technological society that we live in today; congratulates the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the many donors who made the monument possible; believes that it is right that there should be public recognition of the achievements of Clerk Maxwell in the city of his birth, and hopes that wider appreciation of the works of great Scottish scientists and engineers will inspire new generations to seek to follow in their footsteps.

Supported by: Elaine Murray, Jamie Hepburn, Bill Kidd, David Stewart, Shirley-Anne Somerville, David Whitton, Roseanna Cunningham, Malcolm Chisholm, Alex Neil, Jamie McGrigor, Nanette Milne, Rhona Brankin, George Foulkes, Murdo Fraser, Hugh Henry, Ms Wendy Alexander, Kenneth Gibson, Patricia Ferguson, Des McNulty, David McLetchie, Stuart McMillan, Marlyn Glen, Liam McArthur, Jackie Baillie, John Park, Brian Adam, Mike Pringle, Mary Mulligan, Gil Paterson, Ken Macintosh, Pauline McNeill, Robin Harper, Jack McConnell, Keith Brown*

S3M-2905 Margo MacDonald: The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba—That the Parliament congratulates Neil Oliver for his work on the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba, held since the 17th century in the national library of France, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and resolves to request the return, on loan, of this unique document for Homecoming Scotland 2009 in view of its relevance to the history and identity of Scotland.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Alex Neil, Michael Matheson

S3M-2904♦ Hugh Henry: Alcohol Pricing—That the Parliament recognises the health and social consequences for residents of Paisley South of cheap alcohol; believes that a pricing strategy that applies only to Scotland would have significant consequences for those living in Paisley South; considers that there is potential for increased criminality arising from a Scotland-only pricing strategy and notes the opportunities to avoid such a strategy; also believes that cultural and social attitudes to alcohol consumption need to be addressed through education and awareness, and further believes that any pricing strategy to tackle alcohol abuse is best delivered on a UK basis through taxation, with increased revenues invested in NHS and police services.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Ken Macintosh, Mary Mulligan, Cathie Craigie, Karen Whitefield, Trish Godman

S3M-2903 Joe FitzPatrick: Dundee Top City for Business Growth—That the Parliament congratulates Dundee on being named as the top city for business growth in Scotland in a Royal Mail business survey; notes that between March and August 2008 Dundee achieved a growth rate of 1.89%, placing it third overall in the United Kingdom and up 23 places from last year; welcomes the 118 new businesses that started in Dundee over the six-month period of the survey, and recognises the support that the Scottish Government has provided to businesses in Dundee with the abolition of tolls on the Tay Bridge and the introduction of the Small Business Bonus Scheme.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Kenneth Gibson, Alasdair Allan, Keith Brown, Bob Doris, Michael Matheson, Aileen Campbell, Alex Neil, Bill Kidd, Marlyn Glen, Nigel Don, Gil Paterson, Christina McKelvie*, Stuart McMillan*

S3M-2902 John Park: Billy Liddell Enters the SFA Hall of Fame—That the Parliament welcomes the recent move by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) to enter Liverpool FC legend Billy Liddell and to the SFA Hall of Fame; praises the hard work of those campaigning for the memory of Billy Liddell to be fully recognised and welcomes the support of Dunfermline Press in the campaign; congratulates the SFA on this announcement; acknowledges Billy Liddell’s position as a role model to thousands of young football players; is delighted that this native of Townhill, near Dunfermline, is receiving recognition for his contribution to Scottish sport, and looks forward to the boost that this will give the Billy Liddell memorial campaign in its efforts to ensure that Billy is remembered appropriately in his home town.

Supported by: Kenneth Gibson, Jamie McGrigor, Bashir Ahmad, Bob Doris, Claire Baker, Bill Kidd, George Foulkes, Murdo Fraser, Richard Baker, Jackie Baillie, David Whitton, Des McNulty, Jim Tolson, Trish Godman, James Kelly, Brian Adam, Stuart McMillan, Jamie Hepburn, Alex Neil, Ken Macintosh, Dr Richard Simpson, Hugh Henry, Gil Paterson, Mr Frank McAveety, Michael Matheson, Keith Brown*

S3M-2901 Margaret Mitchell: Congratulations to Strathclyde Police and Lanarkshire’s Alcohol and Drug Action Team—That the Parliament congratulates Strathclyde Police and Lanarkshire’s Alcohol and Drug Action Team on their joint launch of the Safer Lanarkshire campaign, which aims to combat violence, disorder, antisocial behaviour, drug and alcohol-related crime and vandalism, and notes the success of last year’s campaign in north and south Lanarkshire.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Jamie McGrigor, David Stewart, Kenneth Gibson, Mary Scanlon, Nanette Milne, Elizabeth Smith, Bill Aitken, Bob Doris, Ken Macintosh, Alex Neil, John Lamont, Jackson Carlaw, Hugh O’Donnell, Bill Kidd, Sandra White, Annabel Goldie, Gil Paterson, Jack McConnell, Christina McKelvie*, Stuart McMillan*

S3M-2900 Aileen Campbell: Biggar Museum Archaeology Group Wins Top Award—That the Parliament congratulates the Biggar Museum Archaeology Group, on its latest triumph as winner of the Pitt Rivers Award for the Best Amateur or Independent Archaeological Project during the 2008 British Archaeology Awards ceremony; notes the extensive work done by the Biggar Museum Archaeology Group, which surveyed over 400 square kilometres of Upper Tweeddale in a project deemed "first class" by judges; further notes that this whole exercise was carried out entirely by volunteers; commends the Biggar Museum Archaeology Group for the quality and standard of its research, which is showcased on the group’s excellent website, and wishes the group similar success at next year’s awards.

Supported by: Rob Gibson, Jamie McGrigor, Bashir Ahmad, Bill Kidd, Bob Doris, Jamie Hepburn, Kenneth Gibson, Alasdair Allan, Roseanna Cunningham, Christina McKelvie, John Lamont, Alex Neil, Gil Paterson, Michael Matheson, Robin Harper, Karen Gillon, Stuart McMillan*

S3M-2899 Cathie Craigie: Cumbernauld: A Love Song—That the Parliament congratulates Carolyn McGoldrick, who recently wrote, produced and released her debut single and music video entitled Cumbernauld: A Love Song, supported by a £2,000 cultural grant from North Lanarkshire Council; notes that the song portrays the positive experiences of growing up in the new town, and also notes that all proceeds from sales of the single will be donated to the charity CLIC Sargent, a charity that cares for children and young people with cancer, and that the single can be purchased via the following link:

www.cdfreedom.com/artists/carolynmcgoldrick/catalog/cumbe

rnauldalovesong/.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, David Stewart

S3M-2898# Ian McKee: Recognising the Role of a Healthy, Competitive Television Industry in the Cultural Life of Scotland—That the Parliament recognises the contribution made to the cultural and social life of Scotland and, in particular, in Glasgow and Edinburgh, by a vibrant and competitive home-based television programme-making sector; recognises the role of STV as Scotland’s only commercial public sector broadcasting (PSB) provider, a function that it has provided for 50 years; supports Ofcom’s enhanced evolution option, with STV continuing to provide PSB for Scotland as part of a wider UK network; rejects ITV plc’s call for a single UK-wide brand, which would not be in the interests of Scotland; supports STV’s bid to continue to be a PSB licence holder for Scotland, and, recognising that the company is outside the ITV commissioning process, supports STV’s request to be awarded independent producer status, making it easier for other channels to commission programme production from Scotland.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Alex Neil, Michael Matheson, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Sandra White, Hugh Henry, Brian Adam, Gil Paterson, Margo MacDonald, Christine Grahame, Robin Harper, Bob Doris, Dave Thompson, Christina McKelvie*

S3M-2897 Willie Coffey: Congratulations to Reverend William Hewitt and to Kilmarnock Academy—That the Parliament congratulates Reverend William Hewitt on his election as Moderator Designate of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland; welcomes the intention of Reverend Hewitt to focus on cooperation between churches during his time in the role of moderator; further notes that Reverend Hewitt was educated at Kilmarnock Academy, and records its congratulations to Kilmarnock Academy on its remarkable record of former pupils of the school filling this important post three times in the last decade, with former moderators, Andrew McLellan and John Miller, postholders in 2000 and 2001 respectively, also being former pupils of the academy.

Supported by: Alex Neil, Michael Matheson

S3M-2896 Nigel Don: Aberdeen Bus Fare Reductions—That the Parliament welcomes the announcement by First that it intends to reduce a number of bus fares in Aberdeen; considers that this is a positive step in the right direction in the city of First’s birth, which has seen the highest fares in Scotland for a number of years; hopes that there will be an ongoing review of the fare levels in Aberdeen to ensure that bus fares are pegged at a level that is both affordable and attractive to customers in order to encourage them to leave their cars at home; congratulates the administration of Aberdeen City Council for raising the issue with First, and calls for a continued dialogue between the council and First to ensure that the needs of the public are given full consideration in future.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Alex Neil, Michael Matheson, Christopher Harvie, Alasdair Allan, Patrick Harvie, Bill Kidd, Jim Tolson, Bashir Ahmad, Kenneth Gibson, Roseanna Cunningham, Stuart McMillan, Angela Constance, Bob Doris, Sandra White, Brian Adam, Robin Harper, Gil Paterson*

S3M-2895 Jamie Hepburn: Cumbernauld: A Love Song—That the Parliament congratulates singer-songwriter Carolyn McGoldrick on the release of her single, Cumbernauld: A Love Song; notes that money raised from sales of the song will be donated to young persons’ cancer charity CLIC Sargent; believes that the song reflects the positive outlook that residents of Cumbernauld have for the future of their town, and encourages people across Scotland to buy a copy of the single in support of both Cumbernauld and CLIC Sargent.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Aileen Campbell, Alex Neil, Christina McKelvie, Bob Doris, Bashir Ahmad, Michael Matheson, Gil Paterson, Stuart McMillan*

S3M-2894 Tricia Marwick: Congratulations Glenrothes Gazette—That the Parliament congratulates the Glenrothes Gazette for being shortlisted in the Scottish Paid-for Weekly Newspaper of the Year category at this year’s Newspaper Society awards; believes that the nomination is a tribute to the editor and staff for the consistent high quality of local news, and wishes the Glenrothes Gazette the best of luck in the final.

Supported by: Michael Matheson, Bill Kidd, John Park, Elizabeth Smith, Rob Gibson, Bob Doris, Kenneth Gibson, Aileen Campbell, Stuart McMillan, Alex Neil, Christina McKelvie, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Bashir Ahmad, Brian Adam, Jamie Hepburn, Roseanna Cunningham, Gil Paterson, Angela Constance

S3M-2893 James Kelly: Show Racism the Red Card Activities in Rutherglen and Cambuslang—That the Parliament congratulates the Cambuslang and Rutherglen Sports Council, Unison, Strathclyde Police Community Safety Team and the Active Schools coordinators on the recent Show Racism the Red Card football tournament held at the South Lanarkshire Lifestyle centre in Cambuslang and the Burnhill Sports Centre in Rutherglen; welcomes the ongoing efforts to tackle racism and to help children and young people recognise the diversity of cultures that makes up today’s society, and wishes the organisers well in any future events to deliver the anti-racism message.

Supported by: Mary Mulligan, Dr Richard Simpson, Robin Harper, Michael McMahon, Bill Kidd, Bill Butler, Pauline McNeill, Paul Martin, David Stewart, David Whitton, Alex Neil, Christina McKelvie, Ken Macintosh, Jackie Baillie, John Park, Sarah Boyack, Bob Doris, Bashir Ahmad, Jamie McGrigor, Rhona Brankin, Robert Brown, Jamie Hepburn, Hugh Henry, Bill Aitken, Patricia Ferguson, Gil Paterson, Mr Frank McAveety, Jack McConnell, Stuart McMillan*

S3M-2892 Jackie Baillie: Improving Access—That the Parliament believes that no person should be left stranded or isolated as a consequence of an inability to board a bus; calls on bus operators in West Dunbartonshire and across Scotland to accelerate their programmes for replacing old vehicles, particularly on principle routes, to ensure that more low-floor accessible buses are available; notes that many disabled people, elderly people and parents with prams are unable to access transport to vital services, and recognises the efforts made to date by some bus operators but strongly believes that the current stock of low-floor buses is insufficient to meet need and that bus operators should introduce accessible buses on key routes.

Supported by: Kenneth Gibson, David Stewart, Bill Kidd, Bill Butler, Patrick Harvie, Claire Baker, Bashir Ahmad, Trish Godman, David Whitton, James Kelly, John Park, Joe FitzPatrick, Brian Adam, Marlyn Glen, Mary Mulligan, Jamie Hepburn, Karen Whitefield, Rhoda Grant, Ken Macintosh, Hugh Henry, Mike Pringle, Andy Kerr, Irene Oldfather, Sandra White, Mr Frank McAveety, Angela Constance, Charlie Gordon, Robin Harper, Dr Richard Simpson*, Stuart McMillan*

S3M-2891 Jack McConnell: Congratulations to JK Rowling and Children’s High Level Group—That the Parliament welcomes the publication of The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling on 4 December 2008; notes that the net proceeds from the sale of the book will be used to support the work of the Children’s High Level Group (CHLG); congratulates CHLG on its work so far in helping around 250,000 children in eastern Europe who are growing up in unacceptable conditions, and hopes that fans around the world will enjoy The Tales of Beedle the Bard while helping to benefit institutionalised children in desperate need of a voice.

Supported by: John Park, Jackie Baillie, David Whitton, Liam McArthur, Kenneth Gibson, Claire Baker, Ross Finnie, Sarah Boyack, Elizabeth Smith, Patrick Harvie, Bob Doris, Nanette Milne, Bill Butler, Des McNulty, Pauline McNeill, Mary Mulligan, Elaine Murray, Jamie Hepburn, Cathie Craigie, Trish Godman, Alex Neil, Helen Eadie, Karen Whitefield, Peter Peacock, Rhoda Grant, Ken Macintosh, Dr Richard Simpson, George Foulkes, Hugh Henry, Patricia Ferguson, Mike Pringle, David Stewart, Irene Oldfather, Gil Paterson, Sandra White, Mr Frank McAveety, James Kelly, Robin Harper, Stuart McMillan*, Bill Kidd*

S3M-2890 Elaine Murray: Electric Shock Training - Disappointment at Decision—That the Parliament expresses disappointment at the Scottish Government’s decision not to push ahead with a ban on electric shock training devices until the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs research is completed in 2010; notes that the Welsh Assembly has already announced a ban on their use in Wales and is currently drafting legislation; further notes that a wide range of organisations, including the Kennel Club, veterinary surgeons, respected dog trainers and behaviour experts, call for the sale and use of electric shock collars to be prohibited in Scotland, and urges the Scottish Government to review its decision.

Supported by: Mary Mulligan, Marlyn Glen, Jackie Baillie, Bill Butler, David Whitton, David Stewart, Patricia Ferguson, Cathie Craigie, Ross Finnie, Rhoda Grant, Karen Whitefield, Trish Godman, Hugh O’Donnell, Peter Peacock, John Park, Dr Richard Simpson, Robert Brown, Ken Macintosh, Mike Pringle, James Kelly, Hugh Henry, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Irene Oldfather, Mr Frank McAveety, Robin Harper

S3M-2889 Patrick Harvie: Isle of Eigg’s Big Green Challenge—That the Parliament congratulates the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust on being the only finalist from Scotland in NESTA’s £1 million Big Green Challenge; commends the community of Eigg for leading the way towards becoming a zero-carbon-energy community; believes that the project will also allow other communities to reduce their impact by learning from Eigg’s experience through the Build Your Own Green Island scheme when it is launched in early 2009, and congratulates NESTA for running the Big Green Challenge, which will help us all to learn lessons about how to reduce our environmental impact.

Supported by: Peter Peacock, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart

S3M-2888 George Foulkes: Livingston’s Touch Bionics Grabbed 14th Place in TIME Magazine’s Top Inventions 2008—That the Parliament congratulates Touch Bionics, based in Livingston, on achieving 14th place out of 50 top inventions this year in TIME Magazine for producing the i-LIMB Hand, the first-to-market prosthetic device with five individually powered digits; appreciates the technology and skill involved in producing an artificial hand with subtle capabilities, such as a credit card grip for grasping narrow objects, that looks just like a real human hand; notes that research on the device began in the United Kingdom’s national health system back in the 1960s; commends all those involved in inventing such a life-changing product, which now benefits more than 400 patients worldwide; welcomes Touch Bionics’ recently announced improvements, such as a lycra lining for easier and more comfortable wear with thicker silicone at the fingertips for greater durability; wishes Touch Bionics well with its agenda to develop technology for providing patients with upper-limb deficiencies with prosthetic fingers, wrists and a full bionic arm, and further congratulates TIME Magazine for giving Touch Bionics and other innovation companies the recognition and inspiration to expand and develop in a global market.

Supported by: Mary Mulligan, Robin Harper, Bill Kidd, David Stewart, David Whitton, James Kelly, Kenneth Gibson, Ken Macintosh, Angela Constance, Dr Richard Simpson, John Park, Patrick Harvie, Sarah Boyack, Jamie McGrigor, Trish Godman, Gil Paterson, Jack McConnell

S3M-2887 Stuart McMillan: Inverclyde Schools Concert Band—That the Parliament congratulates Inverclyde Schools Concert Band, which recently achieved a Gold Award in the Scottish heat of the National Concert Band Festival, held at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow; notes that the band’s performance was judged to be vibrant, enthusiastic and generally excellent by adjudicators Bryan Allen and Stephen West; also notes that the band was praised for its quality of sound and maturity of performance; further notes that the band has now made the UK finals for the seventh time in the last 10 years, and wishes it every success at the next final, which is to take place in Cardiff in April 2009.

Supported by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, Kenneth Gibson, Elizabeth Smith, Ross Finnie, Trish Godman, Bill Kidd, Rob Gibson, Sandra White, Bob Doris, Jamie McGrigor, Alex Neil, Christina McKelvie, Keith Brown, Bill Wilson, Michael Matheson, Roseanna Cunningham, Gil Paterson

S3M-2886 Marlyn Glen: Minimise Medical Mistakes—That the Parliament welcomes the introduction of a degree course in patient safety at the University of Aberdeen; notes that there is currently no formal training for clinicians in the human and system causes of error and adverse events; recognises research by academics at the University of Aberdeen that suggests that errors by medical professionals affect up to 50,000 patients in Scotland each year, contributing to about 5,000 deaths; congratulates the University of Aberdeen for identifying the obvious need for such a course, and supports efforts to minimise risk to patients by providing sufficient training for health professionals to diminish the risk of medical errors and to improve the quality of Scotland’s health care as a whole.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Malcolm Chisholm, Dr Richard Simpson, Jackie Baillie, Hugh Henry, Mary Mulligan, James Kelly, Ken Macintosh, Cathy Peattie

S3M-2885 George Foulkes: UK Government’s Welcome Decision on Post Office Cards—That the Parliament welcomes the decision by the UK Labour government to keep the Post Office card account with the Post Office until at least 2015; believes that comments by the SNP candidate in the Glenrothes by-election and the Deputy First Minister, both of whom suggested that the Labour government was set to strip this vital service from post offices, were misleading and deeply irresponsible, causing fear and alarm to the many pensioners across Scotland who use and value the Post Office account service, and further believes motion S3M-2876 by Aileen Campbell to be hollow and politically motivated.

Supported by: Ken Macintosh, Dr Richard Simpson, David Whitton, David Stewart, Elaine Murray, Mary Mulligan, Andy Kerr, Claire Baker, Jackie Baillie, Peter Peacock

S3M-2884 Bill Butler: 25th Anniversary of the Dance School of Scotland—That the Parliament congratulates the Dance School of Scotland, located within Knightswood Secondary School, on its silver anniversary; notes that the Dance School of Scotland, conceived in 1983 as a result of discussions between the then Strathclyde Regional Council and Scottish Ballet, has developed an excellent reputation over that period as Scotland’s only fully-funded centre of excellence for dance and is a school that, unlike many other establishments, charges no fees; celebrates the 10th anniversary of the musical theatre course at Knightswood, which complements the work of the dance school and has harnessed the talent of young people in Scotland, many of whom are now acclaimed professionals in the world of dance and musical theatre; commends the extraordinary skills and dedication of the staff at the dance school and, in particular, Elaine Holland, artistic director of dance, and Graham Dickie, artistic director of the musical theatre course; wishes all those taking part in a special celebratory showcase, to be held at the Royal Concert Hall on Sunday 16 November 2008, a night to remember, and extends its best wishes to all students and teachers who have created this Scottish success story.

Supported by: Karen Whitefield, Alasdair Allan, Jamie McGrigor, Sandra White, Paul Martin, Ken Macintosh, Cathy Peattie, Bill Kidd, Kenneth Gibson, Elaine Murray, Bashir Ahmad, Mary Mulligan, Stuart McMillan, Robin Harper, Mr Frank McAveety, Patricia Ferguson, Helen Eadie, Hugh Henry, Charlie Gordon, Andy Kerr, Pauline McNeill, Ross Finnie, Cathy Jamieson, Trish Godman, Jackie Baillie, Claire Baker, Des McNulty, Jamie Hepburn, Peter Peacock, David Stewart, Gil Paterson, Jack McConnell

S3M-2883 Christine Grahame: British Government Red Card over GB Football Team Proposal—That the Parliament notes the comments of the Secretary of State for Scotland, Jim Murphy MP, in relation to the proposal to have Scots players take part in a GB football team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, following his discussions with FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke on 11 November 2008; also notes that similar assurances on the continued independence of the Scotland international side were previously sought from Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, by the British Prime Minister, only for it to be later revealed that any such assurances could not be made binding on successor members of FIFA; notes further the dangerous precedent that Scottish participation in a GB team would set in eroding the longstanding independence of the Scotland national squad, and urges HM Government to desist from undermining Scotland’s national squad in this manner.

Supported by: Bashir Ahmad, Bill Kidd, Kenneth Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Alasdair Allan, Brian Adam, Ian McKee, Bob Doris, Joe FitzPatrick, Christina McKelvie, Michael Matheson, Jamie Hepburn, Gil Paterson, Dave Thompson

S3M-2878# Pauline McNeill: Dignity for Palestinians—That the Parliament welcomes the passage of the boat, Dignity, which travelled from Cyprus to Gaza with 11 European parliamentarians including three members of the Scottish Parliament on board; recognises that this is the third boat to challenge the siege of Gaza, which has become a permanent blockade and which has affected every aspect of Palestinian life to the point where they are now in receipt of the largest food aid programme in the world; is concerned about the impact of the blockade on ordinary Palestinians, denying them basic health care rights as there is a shortage of medicine, proper medical equipment and severe restrictions on leaving Gaza for referral treatment, which has resulted in many deaths as recorded by the World Health Organisation; supports the efforts of Edinburgh Direct Aid to send aid to Gaza, and recognises that action by the international community, to secure an end to the siege of Gaza and implement international law, is key to encouraging long-term peace in the Middle East.

Supported by: Dr Richard Simpson, Sarah Boyack, Bob Doris, Jackie Baillie, Alasdair Allan, Bill Kidd, Bill Butler, Bill Wilson, Marlyn Glen, Roseanna Cunningham, Sandra White, Cathy Jamieson, Liam McArthur, Gil Paterson, Robin Harper, Trish Godman, Joe FitzPatrick, Patrick Harvie, Ms Wendy Alexander, John Park, Mary Mulligan, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Alex Neil, Jamie Hepburn, Hugh Henry, Malcolm Chisholm, Mr Frank McAveety, Cathy Peattie, Bashir Ahmad, Elaine Murray, Rhoda Grant, Mike Pringle, David Stewart

S3M-2877 Aileen Campbell: Larkhall Academy Unite Scotland - Let’s Celebrate—That the Parliament congratulates the students of S6 in Larkhall Academy on their exciting Unite Scotland initiative, aimed at celebrating Scotland’s cultural diversity and raising at least £20,000 as part of the Prince’s Trust Scholar Challenge; welcomes the group’s ethos of "Unite Scotland – Let’s Celebrate!" and the range of activities planned as part of the initiative, including the selling of specially designed badges, and encourages everyone in the wider community to support these efforts.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Bob Doris, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Alasdair Allan, Robin Harper, Kenneth Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd, Bashir Ahmad, Sandra White, Karen Gillon, Michael Matheson, Gil Paterson

S3M-2876 Aileen Campbell: UK Government’s Ideas for the Future of the Post Office—That the Parliament notes comments by the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, Lord Mandelson, that he believes in the future of the Post Office and that the financial services it offers could be developed in the light of global economic difficulties; considers that the Network Change Programme was foisted on the Post Office by the UK Government and has decimated the Post Office branch network in Scotland, devastated local communities and put increasing pressure on the remaining branches; believes that any decision to remove the card account from the Post Office will further weaken the network; further believes that these actions of the UK Government stand completely at odds with Lord Mandelson’s comments, and calls on the UK Government to halt and reverse the closure programme, retain the Post Office card account, and work to enhance the range of services available at all branches.

Supported by: Christopher Harvie, Brian Adam, John Scott, Ian McKee, Christine Grahame, Christina McKelvie, Jamie Hepburn, Alasdair Allan, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Bill Wilson, Bob Doris, Roseanna Cunningham, Rob Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Alex Neil, Kenneth Gibson, Robin Harper, Bill Kidd, Willie Coffey, Sandra White, Michael Matheson, Gil Paterson

S3M-2875 Jackie Baillie: Congratulations to Vale of Leven Nurse—That the Parliament congratulates Linda Harley, a cardiac rehabilitation nurse at the Vale of Leven Hospital, on receiving the Heart Disease Team Award at the Scottish Health Awards 2008 after being nominated by her colleagues; recognises her dedication to helping heart attack sufferers in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area over the last 30 years; further recognises the outstanding work that she has done to aid patients in their recovery, such as visiting them at home and going out of her way to tailor programmes to the needs of individual sufferers, and further congratulates her on her achievement, which has benefited many local patients.

Supported by: Jim Tolson, Jackson Carlaw, Nanette Milne, Hugh Henry, Elizabeth Smith, Bill Butler, Jamie McGrigor, Bill Kidd, Trish Godman, Paul Martin, Alasdair Allan, David Stewart, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Karen Whitefield, Mr Frank McAveety, Bob Doris, Sandra White, Gil Paterson, Helen Eadie, Ken Macintosh, John Park, Claire Baker, Bill Wilson, Des McNulty, Mary Mulligan, Jamie Hepburn, Kenneth Gibson, Ross Finnie, Dr Richard Simpson

S3M-2874 George Foulkes: SNP in a Spin over HBOS Takeover—That the Parliament notes with concern the moves by a small group of people within the Scottish financial sector to promote an unspecified alternative to the Lloyds TSB takeover of HBOS; considers that the Lloyds TSB deal is the only substantive option that will guarantee the future of HBOS; unites with all parliamentarians, across parliaments, on the common purpose of securing headquarter functions in Scotland, preserving the thousands of jobs reliant on a strong recapitalised bank, both in the Lothians and across Scotland; further considers that there is a lack of coherent and transparent Scottish Government policy towards the takeover and a fast and loose approach adopted by some sections of the media to reporting the credibility of alternative options; considers that the whole scheme is deeply irresponsible, and believes that Alex Neil MSP is acting as a proxy for the First Minister in promoting the scheme and that his actions are politically motivated to allow the SNP to look both ways on this issue.

S3M-2873# Sandra White: Successful Mercy Mission to Gaza—That the Parliament congratulates the success of the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza and the Free Gaza Movement on their successful mission to break the blockade of Gaza and deliver much needed medical supplies and equipment to the people of Gaza; notes that alongside politicians from around Europe, such as Claire Short MP and Lord Nazir Ahmed, the successful delegation included Sandra White MSP, Pauline McNeill MSP and Hugh O’Donnell MSP; further notes that, after the refusal of the Egyptian authorities to provide safe passage, the group successfully sailed from Cyprus to Gaza despite the close attention of the Israeli navy; hopes that these actions will give hope to the many Palestinians throughout the world, including Glasgow, that the blockade will be ended, and believes that only by all parties working together can we resolve this issue, which is causing untold suffering to the ordinary people of Gaza.

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Hugh Henry, Robin Harper, Marlyn Glen, Christina McKelvie, Bob Doris, Gil Paterson, Bill Wilson, Rob Gibson, Joe FitzPatrick, Aileen Campbell, Pauline McNeill, Keith Brown, Jamie Hepburn, Alex Neil, Hugh O’Donnell, Bashir Ahmad, Michael Matheson, Mike Pringle, Dave Thompson

S3M-2872 Alex Neil: Management Report—That the Parliament notes, from an article in the Sunday Herald on 27 September 2008, that the Chief Executive has commissioned a report from Turner and Townsend Management Solutions, a group of construction and management consultants, with the remit to produce proposals that will assist in laying the foundations for an optimal senior management structure in the Scottish Parliamentary Service; while welcoming the commissioning and completion of this report, regrets that MSPs were not informed about it and are being denied access to it; believes that the refusal to publish this report runs contrary to the founding principles of the Parliament with respect to openness, transparency and accessibility, and demands that the report be made available immediately.

Supported by: George Foulkes, Margo MacDonald, Jamie Hepburn, Hugh Henry, Stuart McMillan, Christine Grahame, Christina McKelvie, Bill Kidd, John Wilson, Bill Wilson, Michael Matheson, Bashir Ahmad, Sandra White, Robin Harper, James Kelly, Elaine Murray, Jackie Baillie, Hugh O’Donnell, Gil Paterson, Angela Constance, Dave Thompson

S3M-2869 Robert Brown: The Justice of the Peace Court (Sheriffdom of Glasgow and Strathkelvin) Order 2008—That the Justice Committee recommends that nothing further be done under the Justice of the Peace Court (Sheriffdom of Glasgow and Strathkelvin) Order 2008 (SSI 2008/328).

S3M-2868 Dr Richard Simpson: Back to a Life Stroke Campaign—That the Parliament welcomes the Back to a Life survey of stroke survivors report; calls on the Scottish Government to listen to the views of the large number of people in Scotland with communication difficulties following a stroke and who responded to the survey; recognises the impact, following a stroke, of communication difficulties on people’s lives; supports the development of more, improved and better integrated communication support services in hospitals and in communities; further supports the development of accessible public communication services throughout communities and the establishment of accurate data collection processes to better evaluate and inform local communications service planning, and calls on the Scottish Government to make a firm commitment to act on these issues in Scotland’s refreshed Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Strategy.

Supported by: Karen Whitefield, Jim Hume, Claire Baker, Helen Eadie, George Foulkes, Duncan McNeil, Bill Wilson, Liam McArthur, Andy Kerr, David Whitton, Patrick Harvie, Ken Macintosh, Jim Tolson, Hugh Henry, Robin Harper, Trish Godman, Marlyn Glen, James Kelly, Jackie Baillie, Margaret Curran, Nanette Milne, Cathy Jamieson, Mr Frank McAveety, Malcolm Chisholm, John Park, Cathy Peattie, Sandra White, Mary Mulligan, Elaine Murray, Peter Peacock, Rhoda Grant, Hugh O’Donnell, Jamie McGrigor, Roseanna Cunningham, David Stewart, Alison McInnes, Gil Paterson

S3M-2867 Bill Wilson: Free Hospital Transport in Renfrewshire—That the Parliament welcomes the establishment of a free hospital transport service for Renfrewshire residents, to be piloted until 31 March 2009; congratulates Renfrewshire Council, Renfrewshire Community Health Partnership, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the WRVS and Community Transport Glasgow on the scheme, which will provide a no-cost means of accessing hospitals for elderly, disabled, and low-income individuals; and further notes that the service is also a solution for those fearful of travelling unaccompanied at night that can only encourage relatives of patients to visit more frequently.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Sandra White, Ross Finnie, Stuart McMillan*

S3M-2866 John Wilson: UK Opt-out on the European Working Time Directive—That the Parliament expresses its dismay that the UK Government is seeking to maintain the opt-out to the European working time directive, which aims to protect the rights of workers throughout the European Union, and endorses the stance adopted by the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the GMB trade union to scrap the UK opt-out clause.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Sandra White, Bob Doris, Keith Brown, Alex Neil, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Bill Wilson, Bill Kidd, Gil Paterson, Robin Harper, Dave Thompson, Christina McKelvie*, Stuart McMillan*

S3M-2865 Margaret Mitchell: Congratulations to Dalziel High—That the Parliament congratulates Dalziel High School, one of the first schools to go through the new inspection process, on achieving an outstanding report with three excellent ratings for improvements in performance, meeting learning needs and improvement through self-evaluation and two very good ratings for learners’ experiences and improvements through self-evaluation, and commends the school for the examples of good practice outlined in its tutor and buddy support system and its work with the community and with the Dalziel High School War Memorial Trust to develop and run sporting facilities as well as an extensive programme of extra-curricular activities.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Jack McConnell, John Lamont, Bill Aitken, Elizabeth Smith, Nanette Milne, Alex Neil, Robin Harper, Ted Brocklebank, Mary Scanlon, Jamie McGrigor, Murdo Fraser, Kenneth Gibson, Jackson Carlaw, Bill Kidd, Bashir Ahmad, Sandra White, Christopher Harvie, Christina McKelvie, Hugh O’Donnell, Gil Paterson

S3M-2861 Jamie Hepburn: On the Money (Leis an Airgead)—That the Parliament congratulates the authors of On the Money, Theresa Breslin, Jonathan Meres, Nicola Morgan and Alison Prince, on the successful translation of their book from English into Gaelic; recognises the importance of this book, which teaches children the importance of being financially aware; further recognises the involvement of Standard Life, the Scottish Book Trust and Learning and Teaching Scotland in the project, and congratulates Condorrat Primary School in Cumbernauld on its successful hosting of the launch of the Gaelic translation of On the Money in Scotland.

Supported by: Robin Harper, Keith Brown, Ken Macintosh, Bill Wilson, Rob Gibson, Bob Doris, Bashir Ahmad, Kenneth Gibson, Alasdair Allan, Bill Kidd, Alex Neil, Christina McKelvie, Gil Paterson, Dave Thompson

S3M-2859 Patricia Ferguson: New Homes for Maryhill—That the Parliament recognises that the 1,000th home built under a programme to provide homes across the city of Glasgow was recently unveiled in Maryhill; welcomes the fact that this forms part of a new £5 million development of 49 flats and houses provided by Maryhill Housing Association, Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Housing Association, and further recognises that this is the latest phase of Maryhill Housing Association’s ongoing development programme of building homes in Maryhill and Ruchill to provide local homes for local people.

Supported by: Karen Whitefield, Jackie Baillie, David Stewart, James Kelly, Bill Butler, Trish Godman, Jack McConnell, Mary Mulligan, Mr Frank McAveety, Dr Richard Simpson, John Park, Cathy Peattie

S3M-2858 Patricia Ferguson: People’s Postcode Lottery—That the Parliament congratulates the People’s Postcode Lottery in raising over £1 million for charities in Scotland in its first year in existence; welcomes the fact that funding is unrestricted so that its charity partners, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Children 1st and Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres, can spend the money with complete independence; notes that the money raised so far equates to funding a Maggie’s Centre for one year, supporting the Children 1st Parent Line service for 12 months and maintaining the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s network of over 120 reserves across Scotland ; further welcomes the fact that all funds raised in Scotland stay in Scotland, and supports the future growth of the lottery so that other charities can benefit from this invaluable source of funding.

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Hugh Henry, David Stewart, Jamie Hepburn, Ken Macintosh, James Kelly, Bill Butler, Pauline McNeill, Trish Godman, Jack McConnell, Mary Mulligan, Claire Baker, Marlyn Glen, Mr Frank McAveety, Dr Richard Simpson, John Park, Cathy Peattie

S3M-2857 Bill Kidd: A Right Belter—That the Parliament congratulates the People’s Postcode Lottery, a lottery for charities in Scotland that was launched in November 2007 and has since raised over £1 million for Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres, Children 1st and the Scottish Wildlife Trust; further notes that on St Andrew’s day the Postcode Belter will see the biggest prize pot so far with a cool £1 million going to the lucky winners, and wishes all Scots the best of luck on the day.

Supported by: Aileen Campbell, Bashir Ahmad, Alex Neil, Alasdair Allan, Kenneth Gibson, Jamie Hepburn, John Park, Bob Doris, Stuart McMillan, Nanette Milne, Mary Scanlon, Sandra White, Gil Paterson, Christina McKelvie, Michael Matheson, Keith Brown*

S3M-2856 Michael Matheson: Good Luck Bankier Primary—That the Parliament wishes Bankier Primary School in Banknock the best of luck as it competes in the final of STV’s People’s Millions competition; notes that its entry, an Eco Attack project, will transform part of the grounds of the school into a multi-use area for the local community, which will include work on a garden, installing a climbing wall, building shelters and providing benches made from plastic bottles, and hopes that it is successful on 27 November 2008 in making this project a reality.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Alex Neil, Sandra White, Roseanna Cunningham, Alasdair Allan, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Rob Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Aileen Campbell, Robin Harper, Christina McKelvie, Keith Brown, Gil Paterson

S3M-2855 Bill Wilson: UK Nationality and Place of Birth - Gender Discrimination—That the Parliament notes that children born before 1983 outwith the United Kingdom to British mothers, unlike those born outwith the United Kingdom to British fathers, cannot automatically obtain British citizenship through their parents’ nationality and believes that such discrimination by the UK Government is not only unwarranted but unjust.

Supported by: Joe FitzPatrick, Bashir Ahmad, Jamie Hepburn, Bob Doris, Brian Adam, Robin Harper, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Patrick Harvie, Keith Brown, Sandra White, Christopher Harvie, Alex Neil, Christina McKelvie, Hugh O’Donnell

S3M-2854 Jackie Baillie: Mindroom—That the Parliament notes that Scottish learning difficulties charity Mindroom has launched a major campaign aimed at securing more integrated support for children and adults with learning difficulties; notes the research indicating that more than one-in-six children has a recognised learning difficulty and calls for greater medical and statistical research in this area; strongly supports Mindroom’s focus on integrating support for people with learning difficulties under three pillars, namely, assessment and diagnosis, research and development, and education and training; believes that the creation of centres combining these facilities under one roof represents a potentially revolutionary way of supporting people with learning difficulties and their families, and would welcome creation of the world’s first such Mindroom in Scotland, allowing Scotland to take a global lead in promoting integrated support for those with learning difficulties.

Supported by: Karen Whitefield, Ross Finnie, Des McNulty, David Whitton, Mr Frank McAveety, Bill Kidd, Robin Harper, Mary Mulligan, John Park, Ken Macintosh, Dr Richard Simpson, Patrick Harvie, Hugh Henry, Helen Eadie, Kenneth Gibson, Trish Godman, Patricia Ferguson, Christina McKelvie, Pauline McNeill, Sandra White, Claire Baker, Jackson Carlaw, Peter Peacock, Rhoda Grant, Marlyn Glen, Mike Pringle, David Stewart, Dave Thompson

S3M-2852 Mr Frank McAveety: 2014 Communities Lottery Fund—That the Parliament congratulates the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland and warmly welcomes the launch of 2014 Communities, a new and dedicated fund aimed at securing a legacy from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games; notes that this is the first such fund in Scotland or the United Kingdom to provide dedicated funding to help create and support a legacy for communities across Scotland arising from the 2014 Games; further notes that through 2014 Communities the Big Lottery Fund will offer small grants to fund and support grassroots involvement in sport and physical activity, focusing on increasing the number of people participating in or volunteering for such activity, and believes that, by opening this new fund now, to run right up to the 2014 games, people across Scotland will have an early opportunity to benefit.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Mary Mulligan, John Park, Ken Macintosh, Robin Harper, Jackie Baillie, Bill Kidd, Marlyn Glen, Rhona Brankin, Elaine Murray, Cathy Jamieson, Stuart McMillan, Sarah Boyack, Hugh Henry, David Stewart, Cathie Craigie, James Kelly, Michael McMahon, Pauline McNeill, Jack McConnell, Trish Godman, Patricia Ferguson, Bob Doris, Margaret Curran, Sandra White, Kenneth Gibson, Robert Brown, Rhoda Grant, Hugh O’Donnell

S3M-2851 Jamie Hepburn: Sign-tube.com—That the Parliament congratulates Grangemouth-based Sign-tube.com on winning the Best Company Website/E-Commerce Award at the Falkirk Herald Business Awards 2008, held recently in Polmont, and considers innovative methods, such as making use of the internet to give a wider outlet for members of the deaf community to express themselves by use of British Sign Language, to be highly positive steps in the right direction and worthy of commendation.

Supported by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, Alasdair Allan, Bill Kidd, Aileen Campbell, Patrick Harvie, Jim Tolson, Bashir Ahmad, Kenneth Gibson, John Park, Cathy Peattie, Christine Grahame, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Christina McKelvie, Angela Constance

S3M-2850 Robin Harper: Hen Harrier Survival in Lothian and Borders Region—That the Parliament notes the latest figures for hen harrier survival in the Lothian and Borders region, showing that, although the region should be supporting at least 50 breeding pairs, only two pairs were observed this year, producing probably only two or three fledglings; expresses concern that this shows that current policy is not being translated into action, and calls on the Scottish Government to investigate urgently why the breeding population of hen harriers has collapsed in this area and to ensure that sufficient wildlife crime detection and enforcement resources are available throughout Scotland to adequately protect our rural wildlife.

Supported by: Elaine Murray, Peter Peacock, David Stewart

S3M-2849 Bill Kidd: Treating Lone Parents as Unemployed - Planned Changes to Benefits—That the Parliament expresses concern at the UK Government’s plans to require lone parents, from 24 November 2008 for those with a youngest child of 12 years old, from 26 October 2009 for those with a youngest child of 10 years old and from 25 October 2010 for those with a youngest child of seven years old, to be available for work, claim jobseekers allowance and be subject to consequential benefit sanctions and considers that these measures seriously undervalue the unpaid work of raising children, treating the raising of children as the equivalent of being unemployed.

Supported by: Joe FitzPatrick, Rob Gibson, Alasdair Allan, Bashir Ahmad, Bill Wilson, Alex Neil, Jamie Hepburn, Gil Paterson, Christina McKelvie, Stuart McMillan

S3M-2848 Peter Peacock: Winning Through Unity—That the Parliament warmly congratulates Barack Obama on his election as 44th President of the United States of America; believes that his election represents, in the words of the Prime Minister, "a moment that will live in history as long as history books are written" and is a watershed event in the history of the USA, parts of which experienced racial segregation within living memory; admires President-elect Obama’s campaign, which placed emphasis on unity over division, and believes that his election is testament not only to himself as an individual, his party and all those who have supported him in his campaign, but also to the achievements of a non-violent civil rights movement, which has inspired other struggles against injustice and helped to transcend divisions in countries around the globe; further believes that President-elect Obama shares the values of progressive politics in Scotland and the United Kingdom, and looks forward to engaging constructively with his administration for the betterment of our respective countries and the wider world.

Supported by: Robin Harper, Elaine Murray, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart, Mary Mulligan, Sarah Boyack, Ms Wendy Alexander, Malcolm Chisholm, Jamie Hepburn, Cathy Jamieson, Andy Kerr, Jackie Baillie, Marlyn Glen, Marilyn Livingstone, Ken Macintosh, Jack McConnell, Mr Frank McAveety, Tom McCabe

S3M-2847 Karen Whitefield: SMARTies—That the Parliament welcomes the establishment of the SMARTies Airdrie Youth Forum, a group of young people from throughout Airdrie aged 12 to 15 years, set up to represent the views of young people in the area; recognises that the group has listened to the views of local young people through conducting a survey and plans to campaign on the issues that have emerged as a result, and wishes group members well in their efforts to improve the lives of young people in Airdrie.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, David Stewart, Cathy Jamieson

S3M-2846 Karen Whitefield: Airdrie Remembers—That the Parliament congratulates the staff and pupils of Caldervale High School on the success of their recent Airdrie Remembers event, an evening of music, songs, poems and memories involving the history, geography, music, French and English departments, that commemorated the lives of all those who fought and died for their country during the two world wars, and recognises the cross-curricular benefits of this approach to making history real and relevant to pupils, in which business studies pupils handled publicity and tickets for the event, school technicians produced a film of the pupils’ Flanders visit, home economics pupils provided a World War One purvey of tea, cakes and scones and art department pupils put on a display of paintings.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, David Stewart, Cathy Jamieson

S3M-2845 Jamie Hepburn: A Tax on Your Identity—That the Parliament notes with concern the recent comments by the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith MP, to the effect that most people cannot wait for the introduction of the Westminster Government’s proposed ID card scheme; believes that, in fact