That this House notes that 26 February 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the laying down of HMS Resolution, the first Royal Navy Polaris Ballistic Nuclear Missile Submarine; further notes that HMS Resolution was decommissioned on 22 October 1994 yet remains laid up at Rosyth dockyard with the Ministry of Defence still to finalise plans for removal of its radioactive reactor; recognises the cost of Polaris procurement and modification as equivalent to £3 billion in today's money with further expenditure on Polaris between 1980 to 1997 equivalent to £9 billion; expresses concern that the acquisition cost of the Trident programme is equivalent to £21 billion with annual in-service costs currently running at £3 billion per annum; raises further concern that under the Polaris sales agreement the UK continues to pay the US Department of Defence an annual contribution towards the overall cost of the Strategic Weapons Facility at Kings Bay, USA; notes the Ministry of Defence estimates the cost of Trident replacement to be £31 billion with a further £10 billion committed in contingency costs; expresses concern that a Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament assessment put the total cost of the Dreadnought programme close to £205 billion; agrees that the past 50 years maintaining the UK’s status as a nuclear power has constituted a grotesque waste of public resources that could and should have been deployed to create a fairer more equal society; and believes the UK Government should abandon the obscenity of their unaffordable nuclear weapons of mass destruction programme.

That this House notes that 26 February 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the laying down of HMS Resolution, the first Royal Navy Polaris Ballistic Nuclear Missile Submarine; further notes that HMS Resolution was decommissioned on 22 October 1994 yet remains laid up at Rosyth dockyard with the Ministry of...

This this House congratulates Kirkcaldy restaurant Koku Shi on winning Japanese Restaurant of the Year at the Scottish Asian Food Awards 2023; notes that Koku Shi was the first Japanese restaurant in Fife when it opened almost eight years ago; further notes that Koku Shi has now received recognition at this prestigious ceremony for the sixth year in a row; commends Koku Shi for its policy of sourcing solely from local businesses; and offers sincere wishes to Koku Shi for continued success in the future.

This this House congratulates Kirkcaldy restaurant Koku Shi on winning Japanese Restaurant of the Year at the Scottish Asian Food Awards 2023; notes that Koku Shi was the first Japanese restaurant in Fife when it opened almost eight years ago; further notes that Koku Shi has now received recognition at...

That this House congratulates the Hillend Tavern in the village of Hillend, Fife, for its commitment to the provision of a quality beer product and service to the community and customers, illustrated by their participation in CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Pub of the Year competition in which it was nominated as amongst one of the top 16 pubs in Great Britain, recognised for high business and service standards; and wishes the Hillend Tavern the best in all of their future endeavours in the industry.

That this House congratulates the Hillend Tavern in the village of Hillend, Fife, for its commitment to the provision of a quality beer product and service to the community and customers, illustrated by their participation in CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Pub of the Year competition in which it was...

That this House welcomes the powerful and moving open letter entitled Sorrow and fury: a letter from American rabbis to President Biden, which was sent by the Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinical Council; recognises the importance of the voice of moderate Jewish people across the world in opposing the actions of the Israeli Government; expresses concern that such voices are largely being ignored by the mainstream media to balance the narrative set by the Israeli Government, the UK Government and the US administration; reaffirms its sorrow over the more than 26,000 lives lost in Gaza; notes the mounting case that war crimes are being perpetrated in Gaza, as set out in the recent ICJ ruling; expresses its concern over risks to the UK Government of culpability with regard to acts of war crime, facilitating or enabling acts of war crime, and omissions to intervene to prevent the execution of war crimes; and further notes the Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinical Council’s call to end U.S. complicity in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people and their assertion that, for the words never again to have any meaning, they must mean never again for anyone.

That this House welcomes the powerful and moving open letter entitled Sorrow and fury: a letter from American rabbis to President Biden, which was sent by the Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinical Council; recognises the importance of the voice of moderate Jewish people across the world in opposing the actions...

That this House pays tribute to social worker Rachel Meade for her courage, forbearance and resilience in the pursuit of justice against Westminster City Council, and her professional regulatory body, Social Work England; congratulates her on her successful employment tribunal for discrimination on the basis of her protected beliefs under the Equality Act 2010; notes that the tribunal found that both Ms Meade’s regulator and her employer had subjected her to harassment for her gender-critical beliefs by wrongly initiating fitness to practise proceedings and suspending her for gross misconduct which precipitated a wrongful final written warning; further notes that prior to the commencement of the tribunal both the regulator’s sanction and the employer’s warning were withdrawn; deeply regrets that Ms Meade was subjected to this campaign of harassment for prioritising child safeguarding and for her lawful views on the importance of single-sex spaces for women and related matters; recognises the judgement found that expressing opinions contrary to the desired amendment to existing legislation, advocated for by trans lobbying groups including but not limited to, Stonewall were not unlawful; and calls on all employers and regulators to uphold their public sector equality duty and to be mindful that this judgement may hold transferable relevance to other public sector bodies and practice disciplines particularly those that hold core safeguarding functions whether that be to children, vulnerable adults or those providing mental health care.

That this House pays tribute to social worker Rachel Meade for her courage, forbearance and resilience in the pursuit of justice against Westminster City Council, and her professional regulatory body, Social Work England; congratulates her on her successful employment tribunal for discrimination on the basis of her protected beliefs under...

That this House notes the outcome of the Court of Session’s decision that the Secretary of State for Scotland’s use of the provision set out in Section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 was lawful; further notes that this was the first use of Section 35 since devolution; regrets that the Scottish Parliament brought forward legislation that was so fundamentally flawed that it provided the UK Government an opportunity to mount their successful lawful challenge on a devolved matter; recognises the views of women across Scotland that the Gender Recognition Reform Bill as proposed presented a risk to the safety, privacy and dignity of women and girls; further recognises that such concerns were repeatedly dismissed as invalid; expresses concern that the Scottish Government has spent significant parliamentary time and, more recently, public funds on legal costs in its attempt to deliver this widely unpopular legislation; agrees that while decisions about Scotland should be for the people of Scotland to decide this can best be achieved when Scotland becomes an independent country; and calls on the Scottish Government to halt any further legal action and to dispose of any intention to progress the Gender Recognition Reform Bill and other associated legislation.

That this House notes the outcome of the Court of Session’s decision that the Secretary of State for Scotland’s use of the provision set out in Section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 was lawful; further notes that this was the first use of Section 35 since devolution; regrets that...

That this House reaffirms and endorses the St Andrew's Day Declaration of 30 November 2022 which states that we the people, elected members and civic organisations of Scotland assert that our nation has the right of self-determination to freely determine our political status and to freely pursue our economic, social and cultural development, mindful of the Scottish constitutional tradition of the sovereignty of the people, we will democratically challenge any authority or government which seeks to deny us that right.

That this House reaffirms and endorses the St Andrew's Day Declaration of 30 November 2022 which states that we the people, elected members and civic organisations of Scotland assert that our nation has the right of self-determination to freely determine our political status and to freely pursue our economic, social...

That this House recognises that our oceans are vital to all life on Earth; notes that our oceans are home to countless species and provide food and livelihoods to billions of people whilst also regulating our climate; welcomes the United Kingdom having become a signatory to the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, which will help protect marine life by creating sanctuaries covering 30% of the oceans by 2030; and calls upon the Government to take all possible steps to ensure that the Treaty is ratified as a matter of priority.

That this House recognises that our oceans are vital to all life on Earth; notes that our oceans are home to countless species and provide food and livelihoods to billions of people whilst also regulating our climate; welcomes the United Kingdom having become a signatory to the Biodiversity Beyond National...

That this House congratulates Kirkcaldy Rugby Football Club as they celebrate the 150th anniversary of the club’s formation on 1 October 1873; notes that the first recorded match was an away game on 3 January 1874 against Portobello, with Kirkcaldy winning by a significant margin of 121 goals and 12 tries to nil; recognises that the Kirkcaldy club was but one of many such football clubs established across Scotland under rugby rules in the early 1870s following the success of the inaugural international match between Scotland and England in 1871; pays tribute to David Howie the first Kirkcaldy player to represent Scotland internationally in a match against France in 1912 and on seven further occasions before his tragic death in 1916 during the First World War; pays further tribute to all Kirkcaldy Rugby Football Club members lost in action since the club was formed; commends the club on their track record of achievement and community engagement through the shared endeavour of competitive sport from their Senior Blues, Women’s, Colts, Youth Girls and Boys to their children’s Wee Blues teams; wishes them continued success with their celebrations and fund raising activities, and the best of luck for the season ahead and throughout the coming years.

That this House congratulates Kirkcaldy Rugby Football Club as they celebrate the 150th anniversary of the club’s formation on 1 October 1873; notes that the first recorded match was an away game on 3 January 1874 against Portobello, with Kirkcaldy winning by a significant margin of 121 goals and 12...

That this House commends Rosemary Potter, Chair of Kirkcaldy’s Old Kirk Trust for her faith, dedication and passionate determination to preserve and enhance the Old Kirk’s role as a concert hall, community resource, heritage centre and continuing place of worship; celebrates the many successful exhibitions, tours, workshops and worship events hosted by the Trust for the benefit of the local community; congratulates the Trust on its successful five-year fundraising mission to preserve the Old Kirk’s ancient 15th century tower; notes that the Kirkcaldy Old Kirk is the first site of Christian worship in the Lang Toun being established by Celtic missionaries in the 7th century; further commends Rosemary Potter for her involvement with other local organisations including the Kirkcaldy Civic Society, Hayfield Community Centre and her commitment to the Hayfield Cafe during the Covid-19 pandemic; and expresses thanks for her lifelong commitment to helping those in need as a social worker, a community leader and for securing the Old Kirk’s continued service to the people to Kirkcaldy for generations to come.

That this House commends Rosemary Potter, Chair of Kirkcaldy’s Old Kirk Trust for her faith, dedication and passionate determination to preserve and enhance the Old Kirk’s role as a concert hall, community resource, heritage centre and continuing place of worship; celebrates the many successful exhibitions, tours, workshops and worship events...

That this House congratulates Martin Christie, Chairman and former Captain of of Dunnikier Park Community Golf, on the introduction of Park Gowf to Kirkcaldy, a first for Europe; notes that this one club, one ball, sport originated in the parks of Japan and offers barrier-free access to people of all ages and abilities to socialise and have fun playing a community sport; further notes that the purpose of the charity is to support healthier lifestyles, raise self-esteem and confidence, build a successful pathway to enjoyable participation in golf, and strengthen community engagement; welcomes the club’s contribution to improving mental health and wellbeing by engaging with Alzheimer Scotland, Sporting Memories, the Nourish Support Centre, the Salvation Army, the Curnie Club, Phoenix Futures and Active Fife; appreciates the support of Fife Golf Club, Kirkcaldy Area Committee and the Community Mental Health Wellbeing Fund and all members of the golf club; and wishes Martin and everyone at the Hame of Park Gowf every success for the future.

That this House congratulates Martin Christie, Chairman and former Captain of of Dunnikier Park Community Golf, on the introduction of Park Gowf to Kirkcaldy, a first for Europe; notes that this one club, one ball, sport originated in the parks of Japan and offers barrier-free access to people of all...

That this House pays tribute to the life of Mr David Potter, teacher, author, historian and active member of the Kirkcaldy community; commends his 32 year career as a classics and Greek teacher at Glenrothes High School where he inspired a generation of pupils with his warmth, humour and intellect; celebrates his authorship and publication of 65 books on a range of topics including classics, Kirkcaldy and its people, sport most notably Celtic and Newcastle Football Clubs and the world of politics; applauds his deep community spirit and his involvement with Kirkcaldy Old Kirk, Old Kirk Players and Kirkcaldy civic society; recognises that his life embodied the very best of community spirit given by a man of exceptional character who left the world a better place through his presence, contribution and humanity; and offers deepest condolences to his wife Rosemary, their children and grandchildren in celebration of his memory.

That this House pays tribute to the life of Mr David Potter, teacher, author, historian and active member of the Kirkcaldy community; commends his 32 year career as a classics and Greek teacher at Glenrothes High School where he inspired a generation of pupils with his warmth, humour and intellect;...

That this House celebrates the 60 years of friendship and enduring links between the twin towns of Kirkcaldy in Fife and Ingolstadt in Bavaria; recognises the work of the Kirkcaldy Ingolstadt Association, and Chair, Robert Main, in facilitating and developing cultural, social, economic, educational and tourist exchanges between the towns; gives thanks to Dr Christian Scharpf, Oberburgermeister, for the gift of The Sandtner Model, a beautiful miniature replica of Ingolstadt’s historic town centre; commends Cllr Jim Leishman, the Provost of Fife, and Cllr Ian Cameron, Convenor Kirkcaldy Area Committee, for their votes of thanks at the Civic Reception; thanks the visiting friends from Ingolstadt, including exchange students, Karina Meier, Jana Nißl, Mihaela Josipovic, Nele Pöppel, Yannick Maertl and Michael Maier, and their teachers Teresa Frey and Teresa Reitzer; and looks forward to many more years of this significant, warm and reciprocal relationship between our towns and our people.

That this House celebrates the 60 years of friendship and enduring links between the twin towns of Kirkcaldy in Fife and Ingolstadt in Bavaria; recognises the work of the Kirkcaldy Ingolstadt Association, and Chair, Robert Main, in facilitating and developing cultural, social, economic, educational and tourist exchanges between the towns;...

That this House congratulates the Victoria Radio Network, a volunteer led and multi award winning radio station based within the Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy; notes that the station has been a bedside companion entertaining and enlightening patients, staff and hospital visitors with discussions on diverse topics since 1971; further notes the radio broadcasts seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day and provides novice broadcasters with their very first opportunity in the industry; applauds Victoria Radio Network and all involved in their endeavours; and congratulates them on their newly refurbished studios and upgraded state-of-the-art equipment supported by a grant from Fife Health Charity.

That this House congratulates the Victoria Radio Network, a volunteer led and multi award winning radio station based within the Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy; notes that the station has been a bedside companion entertaining and enlightening patients, staff and hospital visitors with discussions on diverse topics since 1971; further notes the...

That this house commends Mr Connor Bain, for his outstanding academic achievements from his time at Beath High School, his undergraduate ME/BEng at Heriot-Watt University to his current PhD studies; applauds his successful internships with Survivability Consulting Limited working on a project linked to the Ministry of Defence involving the analysis of survivability, strength, mechanical and integrity for the Royal Navy’s newest fleet and his award of a Medical Research Scotland summer research grant used to design novel image analysis software for use in tissue histology diagnostics; recognises that his academic prowess has regularly enabled him to advance beyond his peers most notably gaining direct access to doctoral level study which is currently funded under the prestigious Carnegie Trust PhD scholarship programme; congratulates him on being a STEM for Britain finalist, exhibiting his PhD project in the House of Commons; and wishes him continued success in his future endeavours and ambition to develop low cost, non-subjective and accurate wearable health technologies.

That this house commends Mr Connor Bain, for his outstanding academic achievements from his time at Beath High School, his undergraduate ME/BEng at Heriot-Watt University to his current PhD studies; applauds his successful internships with Survivability Consulting Limited working on a project linked to the Ministry of Defence involving the...

That this House congratulates the Fife Alcohol Support Service (FASS) ADAPT substance recovery and triage service on the successful opening of the KY2 Club; commends the success of similar clubs in other Fife locations that also provide a safe space for those affected by, and vulnerable to, substance misuse; recognises that the KY2 Club provides a wraparound service with access to mental health, wellbeing, financial assistance and a food provision enabling a highly vulnerable group of individuals to make positive choices about their drug use; notes the importance and value of a service delivered by a dedicated staff team with a lived experience and a local connection; and wishes them and their service users every success in the future.

That this House congratulates the Fife Alcohol Support Service (FASS) ADAPT substance recovery and triage service on the successful opening of the KY2 Club; commends the success of similar clubs in other Fife locations that also provide a safe space for those affected by, and vulnerable to, substance misuse; recognises...

That this House extends its warm congratulations to 19 year old Kirkcaldy-born laddie Ben Sandilands on his T20 1500 gold medal victory at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris; commends him for his athletic skill and ability as a world class competitor, and for his determination in producing a late run in the final 250m moving up from fifth place to win with a new championship record of three minutes and 42.52 seconds; further congratulates Ben on setting a European record in March 2023 while representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the Para-Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai; and also commends team coach Steve Doig, and team mates Steven Bryce and Owen Miller, for their collective encouragement to achieve consistently excellent results.

That this House extends its warm congratulations to 19 year old Kirkcaldy-born laddie Ben Sandilands on his T20 1500 gold medal victory at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris; commends him for his athletic skill and ability as a world class competitor, and for his determination in producing...

That this House notes with concern the impact of child and family poverty in Scotland, where almost one in four children, which equates to 250,000 children, are officially recognised as living in relative poverty; welcomes the Free school meals for all in Scotland campaign led by Scotland’s largest teaching union, the Educational Institute for Scotland, the Scottish Trades Union Congress Women’s Committee and The Sunday Mail, which calls for every child and young person attending school to have guaranteed access to free school meals or the means to buy one, where school meals infrastructure does not exist; concludes that free school meals should be available both during the school day and in holiday periods; and looks forward to the Scottish Government taking appropriate and urgent action to roll out universal free school meals to help mitigate against the ongoing cost of living crisis.

That this House notes with concern the impact of child and family poverty in Scotland, where almost one in four children, which equates to 250,000 children, are officially recognised as living in relative poverty; welcomes the Free school meals for all in Scotland campaign led by Scotland’s largest teaching union,...

That this House commends and applauds the dynamism of Mr Tom Hubbard, the inaugural post-holder of librarian of the Scottish Poetry Library, academic, author and poet, for his broad range of authorship exploring and demonstrating his love for Scotland, Scottish issues and Scottish literature; appreciates that although now retired, Mr Hubbard continues in his efforts to pay homage to the arts across the Langtoun o' Kirkcaldy where he resides; recognises that as an active member of the community he attends local events to perform his poetry encouraging upcoming and seasoned artists, and lovers of the arts, to embrace their passion for creative expression, storytelling and technical proficiency; and celebrates his efforts to encourage citizens across diverse communities to engage in the dynamic sphere of Scottish arts and literature.

That this House commends and applauds the dynamism of Mr Tom Hubbard, the inaugural post-holder of librarian of the Scottish Poetry Library, academic, author and poet, for his broad range of authorship exploring and demonstrating his love for Scotland, Scottish issues and Scottish literature; appreciates that although now retired, Mr...

That this House commends Mr Ewan Mclean and Mr Ewan Mclean Jnr of Kirkcaldy-based MPH Group for their Heat 2 Eat charitable initiative; applauds their resourcefulness in seeking the partnership of boiler manufacturer Navien UK to help amplify the impact they have in the local community; recognises the input of Mr Jason Davies, Sales Director Navien UK, and well-loved charity worker the late Rose Duncan in the process of securing this charitable arrangement; appreciates the commitment of both companies in continuing their pledge to donate £100 for every Navien Combi-Crossover boiler installed in Fife for the coming year; and notes that donations from the Heat 2 Eat partnership already exceeds £17,000, helping their nominated charity, Brighter Futures Health Hub, the local area food banks and vulnerable people from across our communities access vital community support.

That this House commends Mr Ewan Mclean and Mr Ewan Mclean Jnr of Kirkcaldy-based MPH Group for their Heat 2 Eat charitable initiative; applauds their resourcefulness in seeking the partnership of boiler manufacturer Navien UK to help amplify the impact they have in the local community; recognises the input of...