4 October 2006 :   The Public Petitions Committee agreed to link consideration of this petition with petition PE956 and to await the responses to petition PE956 before deciding what further action to take in relation to this petition. The Committee also agreed to invite the petitioner to comment on the responses received in relation to petition PE956. Link to Official Report 

13 December 2006 :   The Public Petitions Committee agreed to refer these petitions to the Environment and Rural Development Committee for inclusion in its inquiry into the marine environment and to forward the petitions, for information only, to the European Parliament Public Petitions Committee and the UK Government. Link to Official Report 13 December 2006 

7 February 2007 :   The Environment and Rural Development Committee took evidence from Les Douglas, Petitioner; and Linden Jarvis, Petitioner; and then from Iain Rennick, Area Manager, Forth and Borders, SNH; Richard Evans, Sites Policy Officer, RSPB Scotland; Dr Bob McLellan, Head of Transportation Services, Fife Council; and Stephen Walker, Acting Head of Environmental Health, The City of Edinburgh Council; and then from Charles Hammond, Group Chief Executive, Captain Bob Baker, Asset Manager Marine/Chief Harbour Master, Dr. Derek McGlashan, Ports Security/Environment Manager (Scottish Operation) and Morag McNeill, Group Company Secretary, Forth Ports plc; and then from Sarah Boyack MSP, Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development, and Judith Morrison, Legal and Parliamentary Services, Scottish Executive. The Committee agreed to continue to monitor progress on the proposed ship-to-ship oil transfers; to write to Forth Ports plc to request that it provides the Committee with a copy, when completed, of the appropriate assessment under the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 1994 of the implications of the proposed activity for European protected sites; to write to the Executive to request that it keeps the Committee informed of relevant developments in connection with the proposed ship-to-ship oil transfers; and to consider and report on issues raised by the petitions in relation to governance and regulation of activities in the marine environment as part of its report on its marine environment inquiry. 

28 February 2007 :   The Environment and Rural Development Committee considered correspondence from Mr Mark Ruskell MSP on evidence submitted by SPT Marine Services Ltd in regard to the Committee’s consideration of petitions PE956 and PE982 on the ship-to-ship transfer of oil in the Firth of Forth. The Committee agreed to write to SPT Marine Services Ltd seeking its comments on an oil spill incident in the Gulf of Mexico in 1995; to write to Forth Ports plc seeking clarification on whether it became aware of an oil spill incident in the Gulf of Mexico in 1995 during its research into the safety record of ship-to-ship transfers; and to copy the letters to the Scottish Executive and seek its comments on the issues raised. 

19 September 2007 :   The Rural Affairs and Environment Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary seeking an update on discussions with the UK Government on further legislative measures to protect the Firth of Forth. Link to Official Report – 19 September 2007 

5 March 2008 :   Petitions PE799, PE956 and PE982. The Committee agreed to close all three petitions and to write to the Cabinet Secretary to draw his attention to the possible implications of the petitions for the forthcoming UK and Scottish marine bills.http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/rae/or-08/ru08-0502.htm#Col584