PE311 Petition by Stephen Borland on behalf of Y Network Glasgow calling for the Scottish Parliament to provide details of: how it intends to avoid a repetition of the SQA Exam Results crisis in future years; the steps it will take in order to evaluate the effect of Social Inclusion in relation to the lives of Glaswegian young people; the measures it will implement to ensure that student finance is fair and open to all; and, how it proposes to tackle the issue of transport safety in the Greater Glasgow area.

The Committee agreed to:- (a) ask the Scottish Executive to respond direct to the petitioners on the SQA issue, including information on how the findings of the SQA inquiry will be made available; (b) refer the petition to the Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee to consider the point raised on social inclusion and to respond to the petitioners; (c) ask the Scottish Executive to respond to the petitioners on the issues raised in the petition and at the meeting on student finance; and (d) ask the Scottish Executive to respond to the petitioners on the issue of transport safety, including information on the design of rail tracks. The Committee also agreed to copy the petition to the Transport and Environment Committee for information in relation to the transport safety issues.

PE297 Petition by Mr Donald Matheson on behalf of Joint Action against the M74 calling for the Scottish Parliament to investigate the impact that the proposed M74 Northern Extension will have upon the communities and small businesses along its route.

The Committee agreed to pass a copy of the petition to the Scottish Executive for comments on whether it has already consulted and, if it has not, how it proposes to consult with the local communities on the route of the proposed motorway extension. The Committee also agreed to copy the petition to Renfrewshire Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Glasgow City Council for their comments on the issues raised in the petition.

PE300 Petition by Andy Scott on behalf of Tay Access Group calling for the Scottish Parliament to cancel the Warrant Cards of all Wardens appointed under the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976, with the intention of protecting women and children from convicted sex-offenders.

The Committee agreed to pass a copy of the petition to the Scottish Executive for comments on the issues raised in the petition, requesting specific views on whether the implementation of Part V of the Police (Scotland) Act 1997 and the proposed establishment of a statutory Consultancy Index for Scotland would in any way address the petitioners’ concerns. The Committee also agreed to ask the Executive whether it is aware of any incidents of the nature causing concern to the petitioners that have been brought before the courts and successfully prosecuted.

PE302 Petition by Mr David Brown on behalf of The Greater Glasgow Private Hire Association calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge Glasgow City Council to take steps to give Private Hire Cars the same rights of access to Glasgow's bus lanes and restricted roads, as are enjoyed by Hackney taxis.

The Committee agreed to pass the petition to the Glasgow City Council for comments on the issues raised in the petition and for further details of the recommendations made following the conclusion of the Experimental Traffic Order. The Committee also agreed to pass the petition to the Transport and Environment Committee for information.

PE309 Petition by Mrs M Whitehead calling for the Scottish Parliament to ask Greater Glasgow Health Board to produce detailed plans as part of an investigation into the existing Victoria Infirmary site and associated grounds, when considering a proposed site for the acute hospital for South Glasgow.

The Committee agreed to pass the petition to the Greater Glasgow Health Board requesting that it be included as part of its consultation process. It was also agreed to request background information on the decisions that have already taken in relation to the proposed hospital site; and the availability of detailed costed alternatives to the Southern General site.

PE310 Petition by Gerald Eve Chartered Surveyors on behalf of Mr Michael D Barclay and others calling for the Scottish Parliament to amend existing legislation, to revoke the permitted development rights for all mobile phone base stations in sensitive areas and make available planning documentation in relation to the development and installation of telecommunications apparatus near residential areas.

The Committee agreed to pass a copy of the petition to the Scottish Executive to be included as part of its consultation on telecommunication masts. The Committee also agreed to pass a copy of the petition to the Transport and Environment Committee for information only.

PE287 Petition by Mr Frank Harvey calling for the Scottish Parliament to oppose the suggestion of an 'opt-out' policy in relation to organ retention, where persons who do not wish to donate their organs after death must carry a card stating their objection.

The Committee agreed that the Clerk should write to the petitioner enclosing a copy of the new Guidance on the Submission of Petitions, indicating that he should try to resolve his concerns through some other means before petitioning the Scottish Parliament. The Committee then agreed to note the petition and take no further action.

PE288 Petition by Mr Frank Harvey calling for the Scottish Parliament to ask the MOD to explain why its contract to build four roll-on roll-off ferries was awarded to a German shipbuilder.

The Committee agreed to note the petition and take no further action.

PE289 Petition by Mr Frank Harvey calling for the Scottish Parliament to seek an explanation from the MOD as to why it awarded a contract for British Army uniforms to a German firm, which was subsequently withdrawn following poor workmanship.

The Committee to note the petition and take no further action.

PE290 Petition by Mr Frank Harvey calling for the Scottish Parliament to ban amphibious vehicles from transporting passengers and especially children, on the River Clyde, or on any other river in Scotland.

The Committee agreed to write to Glasgow City Council seeking its comments on the Health and Safety issues raised in the petition.

PE296 Petition by Mr Frank Harvey calling for the Scottish Parliament to recommend the suspension of the construction of the funicular railway in the Cairngorms until the inquiry into the Austrian ski-train accident that occurred on 11 November 2000, has been completed.

The Committee agreed to note the petition and take no further action.

PE298 Petition by Mrs Avril McKen calling for the Scottish Parliament to recommend that the Forres ambulance unit remains at Leanchoil Hospital, Forres and is upgraded to a 24 hour service, in light of the proposal to relocate the unit to Elgin.

The Committee agreed to seek the petitioner’s comments on a response received from Grampian Primary Care NHS Trust on the issues raised in the petition.

PE299 Petition by Ms Tricia Donegan calling for the Scottish Parliament to investigate whether the additional driving offences of failure to possess the correct licence, MOT or insurance documentation should be taken into consideration at court hearings concerning a fatality caused by dangerous driving.

The Committee agreed to copy the petition to the Lord Advocate for comments on the specific issues raised in the petition.

PE305 Petition by Mrs Dorothy McIlwraith on behalf of county federations of Scottish Women's Rural Institutes calling for the Scottish Parliament to ensure that proposed changes to the current benefit payments system will not lead to the closure of rural post offices and associated businesses.

The Committee noted that the petition had been copied to the Rural Affairs Committee to be included in its report on the changing employment patterns in rural Scotland.

PE307 Petition by Mr Dougal Carnegie on behalf of Scottish Traditional Music Lobbying Group calling for the Scottish Parliament to provide the necessary support and funding to promote traditional arts and culture in Scotland through the inclusion of these topics in the mainstream educational curriculum and the establishment of a Traditional Arts Centre in Edinburgh and Regional Centres throughout Scotland.

The Committee agreed to pass a copy of the petition to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee which is to shortly consider its work programme for next year and which may examine the issue of traditional arts and culture. The Committee also agreed to pass a copy of the petition to the proposed Cross Party Group on the Traditional Arts for information.

2. Current Petitions: The committee reviewed the current petitions. The following points were raised:

PE127 Petition by Edinburgh Student Action for Refugees calling for the Scottish Parliament to take a variety of actions regarding the detention of Asylum Seekers in Scotland.

The Committee considered a response from the Scottish Prison Service on the issues raised in the petition and agreed to pass a copy of the response to the petitioners and to the Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee for information and take no further action.

PE248 Petition by Robert Durward calling for the Scottish Parliament to introduce legislation to compel slower drivers to use passing places, in specified circumstances, to allow other traffic to pass safely and to ensure that sufficient passing places exist which are adequately signposted.

The Committee considered responses from the DETR and the Scottish Executive on the issues raised in the petition and agreed to pass a copies of the responses to the petitioner for information and take no further action. The Committee also agreed to write to the Minister for Transport seeking information on any future road awareness campaigns.

PE263 Petition by Ms Joan Higginson calling for the Scottish Parliament to investigate the handling of the issues raised in previous petitions on the construction of the A701, and to present any recommendations to the Scottish Executive to ensure that individuals and local communities have input into future transport infrastructure proposals.

The Committee considered a response from the Scottish Executive on the issues raised in the petition and agreed to pass a copy of the response to the petitioners, advising them that should they wish to pursue their call for an inquiry, they should address their concerns to Midlothian Council. The Committee agreed to take no further action.

PE265 Petition by George McAulay on behalf of U. K. Men's Movement calling for the Scottish Parliament to: a) protect innocent men against false rape allegations through anonymity when accused; b) introduce a new crime of False Rape Allegation; c) create a register of False Rape Accusers and d) publish annually a study of all rape cases including false rape allegations.

The Committee considered a response from the Scottish Executive on the issues raised in the petition and agreed to refer both the petition and the response to the Justice and Home Affairs Committee for further consideration of the issue of anonymity.

The meeting closed at 3.59 pm.