Chamber and committees

That the Parliament notes the inauguration of President-elect Lai Ching-te of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on 20 May 2024, and further notes what it considers to be the strong economic, social and educational ties between Scotland and Taiwan.

That the Parliament congratulates the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock on being shortlisted for the prestigious UK Pantomime Association’s awards; notes that actors Natalie Tedesco, Alistair Fitton-Weir, Alison Hunter and Sean Van Oostrum have been shortlisted for Best Ensemble, for their role in the show; further notes that previous winners have included Sir Ian McKellen, Su Pollard and Vernon Kay; understands that the UK Pantomime Association is a charity set up to celebrate pantomime, and that it recognises excellence across 19 categories; notes that theatre critic Liam Rudden said that the show was "the best panto in Scotland" and recognised that it had been produced in-house by the Beacon; acknowledges what it sees as the rich cultural and economic contribution that the Beacon makes in Inverclyde, and looks forward to the 2024 show, which it hopes will be a big hit and bring audiences from all over Scotland to Greenock.

That the Parliament recognises the recent bank holiday charity fun day, which was held by Hugos Bar and Pavilion, Dalgety Bay, on 5 May 2024, to raise money for its charity partner, That Place In The Bay; understands that children and families were treated to an exciting afternoon filled with live music, bouncy castles, face painting, and with Jimmy D playing music in the evening; notes that the day was well attended by families both from the local area and beyond, who it believes enjoyed that there was something to do for all of the family; further notes that additional fundraising was held on the day for defibrillators for the local community; recognises that the next charity partner of Hugos is set to be another local charity, the Cookie Jar Foundation; thanks Hugos Bar and Pavilion for hosting this event, and wishes everyone involved all the very best for the future.

That the Parliament recognises Jacqueline Willis for organising the annual Ladies Lunch; understands that, with help from family and friends, Jacqueline has organised 16 Ladies Lunches; further understands that the event is held to commemorate the memory of their friend, Angela, who passed away from kidney cancer; celebrates 16 years of successful lunches, raising over £5,000 each year for charity, and with 2024's lunch held in Milngavie’s Town Hall being particularly successful, with £7,842.09 raised; commends the local businesses that helped to support the event with catering, entertainment and raffle prizes; congratulates all involved, and wishes the event continued success in the years to come.

That the Parliament recognises Carleith Primary School, in Duntocher, on celebrating its 50th anniversary; notes that the school first opened in May 1974, and recognises what it sees as the significance of this achievement; understands that different activities were held at an event in Goldenhill Park, including a sponsored walk, a fun run and a picnic in the park; further understands that a school show is planned for later in 2024 when members of the local community will be invited to see old photographs of the school; congratulates the school staff, parents and pupils on organising these events, as they commemorate their school’s legacy, and wishes them all the best for the future ahead.

That the Parliament congratulates Deep Casing Tools, which is based in Westhill, for receiving The King’s Award for Enterprise 2024; notes that this award is the highest official business accolade to be awarded to UK companies; recognises the work that Deep Casing Tools has undertaken to create a robust international trade growth strategy and to successfully establish an increased footprint in the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Latin America; highlights the growth of the company in response to increasing demand for its technology, and wishes all involved at Deep Casing Tools the best for the future.

That the Parliament congratulates Forfar Farmington FC on clinching back-to-back promotions in the Scottish Women’s Football leagues; understands that Forfar Farmington FC still has a chance of winning the League One title, with two games remaining, and to gain promotion to the Scottish Women’s Premier League 2; notes that the girls club was formed with a single side in 1984, by the late Colin Brown, and that the team played in friendly matches before entering the formalised league in 1990; recognises that Forfar Farmington FC offers girls a pathway to play football with eight girls teams, ranging in ages from under seven years of age through to the ladies first team, and wishes all involved well as they look forward to competing in the Championship next season.

That the Parliament congratulates Glasgow writer, Mark MacNicol, on developing a drama programme to help people understand and cope with trauma and addiction, after the writer's brother sadly died from a drug overdose; understands that Mark, an author and scriptwriter, got involved with Creative Change Collective and that, over the last eight years, has helped to develop and deliver the programme to more than 1,000 people; notes that, through teaching drama techniques, the course, which is run in the community and in prisons, including Barlinnie, Low Moss and Shotts, helps with issues such as alcohol addiction and offending; acknowledges that, after seeing it help hundreds of people, Mark is hoping to take the sessions Scotland-wide; understands that the programme is not a drama group, but is instead more about facilitating the learning of techniques that people can use in daily life; further understands that, as part of the programme, people explore the issues that they want to address through a character that they play in the sessions; believes that the project has grown from Glasgow to include Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire and West Dunbartonshire, and notes that the programme includes 16 weeks of creating monologues, sketches and spoken word, and culminates with the opportunity to present a performance of between 45 minutes to an hour of material to family and friends.

That the Parliament congratulates Montrose FC Women’s team on securing top-flight status in the Scottish Women’s Premier League, before the league season has even finished; understands that the team still has three games to play in the 12-team Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL), which is made up of full-time and part-time teams; further understands that the aim of the Scottish Women’s Premier League is to showcase the very best of women’s football in Scotland, inspiring the next generation and providing more opportunities for girls and women across the game; notes that this is the team's second season in the Scottish Women’s Premier League, after back-to-back promotions; recognises that Montrose FC Women’s team has had mixed results so far this season, by way of six wins, six draws and 17 defeats, with the best win coming against Hamilton, and the biggest defeat being against Rangers, and wishes the women's team and everyone associated with the club all the best for season 2024-25.

That the Parliament congratulates St Mirren Football Club on qualifying for the 2024-25 UEFA Conference League in Europe for the first time since 1987; acknowledges what it sees as this brilliant achievement, which has been 37 years in the making, and comes after the Paisley team secured fifth place in the Scottish Premier League; commends the effort and hard work that every member of the team has put in to get the club to this point, and congratulates everyone involved in St Mirren’s continued success, including Scottish footballing legend, Tony Fitzpatrick, who, it believes, never doubted his team would make it into Europe again despite reported scepticism from the media.