That this House congratulates Father Patrick Hennessy on achieving his golden jubilee following 50 years of dedication to the priesthood; notes that Father Hennessy’s first appointment was to St Columbkille’s Parish in 1969; congratulates Father Hennessy on 50 years of unwavering service that has seen him work across Scotland and travel to remote areas of Peru as part of his service and dedication to the aims and values of the Church; notes the long commitment he has shown to communities across South Lanarkshire taking part in countless weddings and baptisms and being a source of comfort during periods of sickness and at funerals; and commends Father Hennessey on his achievements and wishes him well as he continues his work in Rutherglen.

That this House congratulates Father Patrick Hennessy on achieving his golden jubilee following 50 years of dedication to the priesthood; notes that Father Hennessy’s first appointment was to St Columbkille’s Parish in 1969; congratulates Father Hennessy on 50 years of unwavering service that has seen him work across Scotland and...

That this House notes with concern HM Treasury’s plans to extend the off-payroll (IR35) changes to the private sector; believes that this could damage the UK’s flexible workforce, reducing avenues for work and harm the economy; further notes that the extension could force thousands of contractors into false-employment, potentially costing them an estimated 30 per cent of income; notes the extension of the rules could drive up businesses project costs, significantly depriving UK industry of essential access to key skills; reflects on the impact the rollout of these rules had on the public sector and highlights that the private sector may be even more susceptible to damage; further notes concerns that the Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) routinely does not provide clear answers and raises concerns that there could be a blanket application of the rules due to the poor performance of this tool; supports the aims of the Stop the Off-Payroll Tax campaign and calls upon the Government to offer assurances and commit resources so that companies in the private sector have support if the IR35 rules are extended; and calls on the Government to scrap the roll-out of Off-Payroll to the private sector if assurances cannot be given and look again at reviewing the tax system to better support contingent workers.

That this House notes with concern HM Treasury’s plans to extend the off-payroll (IR35) changes to the private sector; believes that this could damage the UK’s flexible workforce, reducing avenues for work and harm the economy; further notes that the extension could force thousands of contractors into false-employment, potentially costing...

That this House expresses its deep sorrow at the death of Billy McNeill, the former captain of the Lisbon Lions, who made history when he led Celtic Football Club to victory in the 1967 European Cup final; recognises Billy’s extraordinary contribution to Scottish football both as a manager and as a player beginning at Blantyre Victoria Football Club and going on to set an unbeaten record of 790 competitive appearances for Celtic Football Club and being capped 29 times by Scotland; pays tribute to Billy McNeill for his domestic success as captain of Celtic Football Club, winning nine Scottish League Championships, seven Scottish Cups and six Scottish League Cups; and conveys sincere sympathy to Billy’s family, his former team mates and Celtic Football Club.

That this House expresses its deep sorrow at the death of Billy McNeill, the former captain of the Lisbon Lions, who made history when he led Celtic Football Club to victory in the 1967 European Cup final; recognises Billy’s extraordinary contribution to Scottish football both as a manager and as...

That this House expresses its sorrow at the death of Jim Arnold, Former Director of the New Lanark Heritage Trust; acknowledges his role as key to the preservation of New Lanark and notes that this was recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site; further notes the important role he played in preserving this world renowned heritage site which is important to the history of co-operation and the co-operative movement across the world; conveys sincere sympathy to Dr Arnold’s family, friends and fellow co-operators; and recognises that the continued success of the New Lanark Heritage Trust is a fitting tribute to his work.

That this House expresses its sorrow at the death of Jim Arnold, Former Director of the New Lanark Heritage Trust; acknowledges his role as key to the preservation of New Lanark and notes that this was recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site; further notes the important role he...

That this House expresses concern about the rate at which access to cash is being reduced across the UK, with more than 200 free-to-use cashpoints and 60 bank branches closing per month according to analysis by Which?; recognises that while there has been an increase in digital payments, cash is still expected to be the second most popular payment method in a decade's time; expresses further concern about the 25 million people for whom cash remains a necessity, according to the Access to Cash review, and the 2.2 million people who use cash for all their day-to-day payments, who risk complete financial exclusion as a result of this reduction in access; is alarmed by the number of recent major IT failures at banks, which further highlights the central role for cash as the only non-digital payment method; believes that the rapid reduction in access is not being driven by consumer demand and is not in the consumer interest; and calls on the Government to give a regulator a statutory duty to protect access to cash and a sustainable cash infrastructure for as long as people need it.

That this House expresses concern about the rate at which access to cash is being reduced across the UK, with more than 200 free-to-use cashpoints and 60 bank branches closing per month according to analysis by Which?; recognises that while there has been an increase in digital payments, cash is...

That this House congratulates and recognises that Trinity High School in Rutherglen has been awarded the National UK Nurturing School Award; notes that the school is the first secondary school in the UK to receive this award as recognition of the high quality of support offered to students; and further congratulates the students, teachers and wider learning community on this significant achievement.

That this House congratulates and recognises that Trinity High School in Rutherglen has been awarded the National UK Nurturing School Award; notes that the school is the first secondary school in the UK to receive this award as recognition of the high quality of support offered to students; and further...

That this House notes that LINK, the manager of the UK's free-to-use ATM network, proposes to cut the interchange rate fee the method by which ATMs are funded, by 20 per cent over the next four years; further notes that the first five per cent cut is to be implemented on 1 July 2018; stresses that the cut to ATM funding poses a serious threat to the integrity of the UK's free-to-use ATM network; notes that ATM suppliers and consumer representation bodies are concerned about the risk of financial exclusion, particularly in deprived and rural areas; highlights that the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has said that it will intervene if the UK's free-to-use network is threatened; notes that, when it appeared before the Scottish Parliament's Economy Jobs and Fair Work Committee, LINK acknowledged the first five per cent cut could result in the closure of 10 per cent of ATMs in Scotland, significantly higher than initial estimates; notes that if these closures are replicated UK wide as many as 40 per cent of the free-to-use network could close; highlights that in a number of studies, despite a move to a cashless society, access to free cash remains vital for many communities and that the closures are beyond the pace of change in consumer activities; calls on LINK to halt its cuts to the funding for ATMs; and further calls on the PSR to conduct a full market review of the ATM network to establish demand.

That this House notes that LINK, the manager of the UK's free-to-use ATM network, proposes to cut the interchange rate fee the method by which ATMs are funded, by 20 per cent over the next four years; further notes that the first five per cent cut is to be implemented...

That this House notes that under the terms of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, provisions are made for the marriages of same sex couples performed in England, Scotland and Wales to be treated as civil partnerships, and thus the spouses to be treated and referred to as civil partners in Northern Ireland; further notes that the Northern Ireland Registrar will not recognise marriages until the law is changed; notes that in practice, among other things, this means in the event of a spouse's death, the Northern Ireland Registrar refers to the remaining spouse only as the surviving civil partner, removing the status of the marriage in the public records; regrets that because of the provisions of the Act same sex couples married in England, Scotland and Wales in effect have the legal status of their marriages changed should they choose to settle in Northern Ireland; and resolves that the Government should bring about appropriate legislative action to allow for the full legal recognition of same sex marriages conducted in England, Scotland and Wales as marriages in Northern Ireland, for the purposes of registry and all other legal references and rights associated.

That this House notes that under the terms of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, provisions are made for the marriages of same sex couples performed in England, Scotland and Wales to be treated as civil partnerships, and thus the spouses to be treated and referred to as civil...

That this House congratulates the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Central Scotland, Richard Leonard MSP, on his election as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party; welcomes his commitment to reaching out to all people across Scotland irrespective of background or politics; recognises the message of togetherness and solidarity that was at the heart of Mr Leonard's campaign with a plan focused on delivering for the many not the few; confirms support for Mr Leonard's plan to move Scotland forward; and reconfirms the focus on the continuation of good, strong and effective relations between Westminster and Holyrood in order to build a stronger, better UK.

That this House congratulates the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Central Scotland, Richard Leonard MSP, on his election as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party; welcomes his commitment to reaching out to all people across Scotland irrespective of background or politics; recognises the message of togetherness and solidarity that...