The Importance of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust's Work to Support Women

That the Parliament recognises what it sees as the importance of the work carried out by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) in Scotland; understands that CRT provides support to communities in former coalfield areas that, to this day, face challenges as a result of what it sees as rapid deindustrialisation and lack of investment; further understands that much of this work focuses on the improvement of health, skills, and employment opportunities, often with a specific focus on supporting women, who, it believes, are understood to spend fewer years in good health than men, are underrepresented in key areas related to STEM, and are disproportionately impacted when it comes to matters such as the gender pay gap; believes that any reduction in the CRT budget would have an adverse impact on its ability to support women and girls living in former coalfield areas in a time when they require greater levels of support, and calls, therefore, on the Scottish Government to reinstate the £100,000 that it understands has been removed from the CRT budget to ensure that CRT can continue to sustain its levels of work, including supporting projects aimed at improving the outcomes and opportunities of women and other key groups in former coalfield areas.