That the Parliament notes with interest the calls made during a debate on 29 June 2016 at the UK Parliament for the introduction of a system of automatic voter registration; understands that this debate was held in part due to the problems surrounding registration for the EU referendum, which saw the deadline extended; believes that the introduction of automatic voter registration could make it easier for more people to vote, especially in areas such as the Shettleston parliamentary constituency, while also helping to remove additional barriers to voting that stand in the way of some of the most disenfranchised sections of the population, and notes calls for consideration of automatic voter registration to make it easier for all to participate in the political system.

That the Parliament notes the publication of Scotland’s Population 2015: Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends; welcomes the increase in the population to 5,373,000, which is the highest record level ever; understands that, over the next 25 years, it is projected to increase by 7%; believes that a growing population is healthy for the economy as it means more taxpayers are able to contribute to vital public services, and hopes that people will continue to choose Scotland as their home.

That the Parliament notes the research published by BIGGAR Economics that finds that windfarms have had no negative impact on the tourism industry; understands that the research looked at 18 sites across Scotland, taking into account employment in tourism before and after the renewables projects were developed; further understands that the report actually found that many of the local authority areas with the largest growth in onshore windfarms were those that had experienced the biggest bounce in employment in the tourism sector; recognises the 21,000 jobs supported by the renewable energy sector in Scotland; further notes research performed by Scottish Renewables, which finds that roads and paths built for windfarm sites may actually encourage more people to explore the countryside, and believes that these reports show that Scotland can have both a world-leading renewables sector and a world-leading tourism sector.