Apologies were received from Angela Constance MSP.
Also present: Bill Butler MSP, Margaret Curran MSP, Peter Peacock MSP and Karen Whitefield MSP.
The meeting opened at 2.02 pm.
The Committee agreed to seek responses to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government, NHS Highland, NHS Tayside, Scottish Ambulance Service, Scottish Health Council, NHS 24 and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland.
PE1100 Petition by Bob Reid, on behalf of Scottish Auto Cycle Union and North Lanarkshire Scramble and Quad Bike Club, calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review planning and environmental regulations to allow for the provision of safe local and national off road motorcycle facilities, including a Centre of Excellence in North Lanarkshire, as a way of tackling anti-social behaviour, promoting youth citizenship and improving health.
The Committee agreed to seek responses to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government, Fife Council, North Lanarkshire Council, COSLA, Royal Town Planning Institute and the European Commission.
PE1108 Petition by Tina McGeever, on behalf of Mike Gray, calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to consider the provision, on the NHS, of cancer treatment drugs, in particular cetuximab, to ensure equity across NHS boards on the appropriateness, effectiveness and availability of such treatments.
The Committee agreed to seek responses to the issues raised in the petition from Scottish Government, Scottish Medicines Consortium, Bowel Cancer UK, NHS Grampian, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Radiologists. The Committee also agreed to contact the Health and Sport Committee inviting it to consider undertaking an inquiry into the issues raised in the petition.
The meeting was suspended at 3.39 pm and resumed at 3.45 pm.
PE1106 Petition by Jamie Webster calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review those aspects of the Stewart Committee Report on Keeping Offenders out of Court; Further Alternatives to Prosecution, that relate to the rights of victims of crime to obtain information on the handling of the case.
The Committee agreed to seek responses to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Victim Information and Advice, Victim Support Scotland and to link further consideration of this petition with PE899.
PE1109 Petition by Janice Johnson, on behalf of Psoriasis Scotland-PSALV calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to urgently develop clinical guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: to develop national standards of care for people with psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis; and to define psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis as chronic conditions to be included in the list of conditions exempt from prescription charges.
The Committee agreed to seek responses to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and University of Glasgow – Psoriasis and Clinical Genetics Research Group.
PE1110 Petition by Kevin O’Connor calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review the policies, guidance and procedures that apply to the recruitment process of foreign teachers and the right of recourse to investigate claims of discrimination.
The Committee agreed to seek responses to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government.
PE504 Petition by Mr and Mrs James Watson calling for the Scottish Parliament to take the necessary steps to stop convicted murderers or members of their families from profiting from their crimes by selling accounts of their crimes for publication.
The Committee agreed to seek a response to the issues raised in the petition from the Ministry of Justice on what the UK Government’s timetable is for the publication of its response to the Making Sure Crime Doesn’t Pay consultation.
PE535 Petition by Chris Daly calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to (a) make an inquiry into past institutional child abuse, in particular for those children who were in the care of the State under the supervision of religious orders and (b) make unreserved apology for said State bodies and to urge the religious orders to apologise unconditionally.
PE888 Petition by Chris Daly calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive, in the interests of those who have suffered institutional child abuse, to (a) reform Court of Session rules to allow ‘fast-track’ court hearings in personal injury cases; (b) review the implementation of the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973; and (c) to implement the recommendations of the Law Commission report on the Limitation of Actions.
The Committee agreed to seek an update from the Scottish Government on how it will take the issues raised in both petitions forward, including its response to the historical abuse review and the Scottish Law Commission report on personal injury actions.
PE867 petition by Hunter Watson calling for the Scottish Parliament to provide adequate safeguards against vulnerable adults being given, by surreptitious means, unwanted, unnecessary and potentially harmful medication.
The Committee agreed to seek a response to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government to establish whether it is satisfied that all medical, legal, human rights and ethical issues have been considered as part of its consideration of this matter.
PE908 Petition by Connie Syme calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to ensure that traffic regulation orders are applied to all disabled parking bays to ensure that they are used by registered disabled users only.
PE909 Petition by James MacLeod, on behalf of Inverclyde Council on Disability Ltd, calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to review the Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations to allow for speedier provision and enforcement of dropped kerbs and disabled parking bays to prevent their abuse, ensuring greater and easier access for disabled, elderly and other users.
PE1007 Petition by Catherine Walker, on behalf of Greater Knightswood Elderly Forum, calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to prevent the improper use of disabled parking bays and to ensure that they are used by registered disabled users only.
The Committee agreed to write to COSLA and the Scottish Government seeking an update following their recent meeting.
PE934 Petition by Dr J W Hinton, on behalf of the Meteredparking Organisation, calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to review the Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 to ensure that the local authority consultation in relation to traffic orders is full, meaningful and democratic.
The Committee agreed to close consideration of this petition on the grounds that the petitioners have now met with Scottish Government officials to discuss the issues arising from their petition and possible amendments to the 1999 Regulations, that a list of amendments to the Regulations proposed by the petitioners has been submitted to the Scottish Government and that these will be considered as part of any future review of the Regulations.
PE1022 Petition by Dr Murray Hill calling on the Scottish Parliament to debate the urgent need to make a step-change in strategy and vigorously promote foreign language learning and intercultural awareness in Scotland’s schools, colleges and universities.
The Committee agreed to refer the petition to the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee for further consideration.
PE1023 Petition by Dr H I McNamara, on behalf of Highland Senior Citizens Network, calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to ensure that a greater proportion of residential care places for the elderly are provided for and staffed by the statutory sector, particularly in rural areas
The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government on its joint working with COSLA, Scottish Care and the Care Commission and what specific measures in terms of improving care standards are being developed that are relevant to the petition.
PE1032 Petition by Elizabeth McIntosh, on behalf of Renfrewshire Seniors Forum, Calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to improve care for the elderly at a local and national level and, in particular, to improve the standard of care provision for the housebound elderly, and to ensure that seniors forums are fully consulted in relation to the provision of care for the elderly.
The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government on what specific measures in terms of improving care standards for the housebound elderly are being developed that are relevant to the petition and what plans it has to improve dialogue and consultation with seniors fora. The Committee also agreed to write to COSLA.
PE1035 Petition by John Rose calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to withdraw direct and indirect financial support for Calmac on the Dunoon to Gourock ferry service and to ensure full transparency in relation to government subsidy of ferry services.
The Committee agreed to seek a response to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government to the detailed points made by the petitioner in his written submission and how it proposes to take forward consideration of ferry service provision between Gourock and Dunoon. The Committee also agreed to refer the petition and the written submissions received, to the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee.
PE1036 Petition by John Moist, on behalf of the Remploy Consortium of Trade Unions, calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive, in partnership with Remploy and other sheltered workshop employers, to promote employment opportunities for disabled people by reserving local authority and/or government contracts to supported businesses, as permitted by EU Article 19 on Public Procurement.
PE1069 Petition by Clive McGrory calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to encourage employers to provide home working opportunities for those with disabilities which prevent them from accessing the workplace.
The Committee agreed to seek a response from the Scottish Government on what scope there is, within its competence, to take forward initiatives in this area and what specific measures it will take forward to increase the option of home based working for disabled people. The Committee also agreed to write to the Equal Opportunities Committee requesting that it raises the issue of home based working for disabled persons with the relevant Scottish Government Minister as part of its follow-up work to its 2006 disability inquiry. The Committee further agreed to seek a response to the issues raised in the petition from COSLA.
PE1038 Petition by Marjory Robb calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to ensure the adequate provision by local authorities of disabled parking spaces for Blue Badge holders.
The Committee agreed to close consideration of this petition on the grounds that adequate provision appears to have been made by Aberdeen City Council in terms of spaces for blue badge holders and that the local Disability Advisory Group has indicated support for the Council’s introduction of the green badge scheme. In closing the petition, the Committee agreed however to write to Aberdeen City Council requesting that it invites the petitioner to a meeting to clarify any matters relating to the operation of both the blue and green badge schemes and the availability of spaces under each scheme.
PE1039 Petition from Cancer Research UK urging politicians to plan now for the future of cancer. Specifically in Scotland, calling on politicians to update the Cancer in Scotland strategy beyond its current end date of 2011 up to 2020 and beyond.
The Committee agreed to close consideration of this petition on the grounds that work is underway by the Scottish Government on the continuing development of a cancer strategy, including a consultation process, which will involve the petitioner, on an outline framework to be published very shortly and that the strategy will be ready later in 2008.
PE1044 Petition by Kate Mackintosh, on behalf of the Student members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in Scotland, calling on the Scottish Parliament to investigate the merits of extending the ‘One Year Job Guarantee’ employment assistance for newly qualified nurses and midwives to include newly qualified physiotherapists in Scotland, with particular reference to the benefits for patient care.
The Committee agreed to seek a response to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government to the detailed points made by the petitioner in its written submission and whether any of these matters might be appropriate for further detailed consideration under the auspices of the National Solutions Group of which the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in Scotland is a member.
PE1061 Petition by Mr and Mrs Mark J Lochhead and Mr and Mrs Henry McQueen Rankin calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to ensure that measures taken by communities to tackle anti-social behaviour in urban residential areas are not restricted by the duty of a local authority to uphold access rights under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.
The Committee agreed to seek a response to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government, including how the access code under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 is being interpreted by local authorities in terms of access rights. The Committee further agreed to write again to COSLA seeking a position statement on the petition and the written submissions received to date.
The meeting closed at 4.29 pm.
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