Apologies were received from Angela Constance MSP, Rhoda Grant MSP and Robin Harper MSP.
The meeting opened at 2.03 pm.
PE1114 Petition by Gillian Vance on behalf of Galloway Childcare Company,calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to conduct a review of its childcare strategy to ensure adequate funding is provided for childcare services across all local authorities.
The Committee agreed to seek responses to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government, Dumfries and Galloway Council (including Dumfries and Galloway Childcare Partnership), COSLA, Association of the Directors of Education in Scotland, Association of the Directors of Social Work in Scotland, Scottish Out of School Care Network, Scottish Pre-school Play Association and Big Lottery Fund (Scotland).
PE1112 Petition by Robert Kay calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to clarify the circumstances in which Scottish Ministers would not accept the decisions of a local planning inquiry and a public local inquiry, particularly in relation to housing developments on green belt land, such as that at Cavalry Park, Kilsyth.
The Committee agreed to seek responses to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government, Royal Town Planning Institute (Scotland), Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, COSLA and North Lanarkshire Council.
The meeting was suspended at 3.02 pm and resumed at 3.07 pm.
PE1107 Petition by Robin Falconer, on behalf of Highland Youth Voice, calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to reduce public transport fares for all under 18 year olds in full time education and to make provision for young people with no income to either travel free or pay only half the adult fare.
The Committee agreed to seek responses to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government, Young Scot, Scottish Youth Parliament and First Group plc.
PE1113 Petition by Peter McCann on behalf of the Castle Craig Hospital, calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to increase the availability and provision of residential and abstinent treatment for those who are alcohol and/or drug dependent.
The Committee agreed to seek responses to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government (covering NHS Scotland), Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams, COSLA, Centre for Drug Misuse Research at the University of Glasgow, British Medical Association and two treatment centres, Turning Point and the Alexander Clinic.
PE1115 Petition by Pat Graham on behalf of the Campaign to Open Blackford Railway-station Again, calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to ensure that national and regional transport strategies consider and focus on public transport solutions such as the reopening of Blackford railway station which is identified as a priority action in the latest Tayside and Central Regional Transport Strategy, and in doing so, recognises and supports the positive environmental, economic and social impacts of such local solutions.
The Committee agreed to seek responses to the issues raised in the petition from the Scottish Government, including Transport Scotland, Network Rail, First ScotRail, Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership and COSLA.
2. Current Petitions: The Committee considered and agreed action on the following current petitions—
PE765 Petition by Jim Malone calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to ensure the retention of the current 8 fire controls in Scotland.
PE795 Petition by Drew McFarlane Slack, on behalf of Highlands and Islands Fire Brigade, calling on the Scottish parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to ensure the retention of the current 8 fire controls in Scotland.
The Committee agreed to close consideration of both petitions on the grounds that the Scottish Government has stated that it would not take central action to reduce the number of fire control rooms from the existing eight and that it will be for fire and rescue authorities to determine local control room requirements and standards.
PE1051 Petition PE1051 by Jimmy Deuchars on behalf of Grandparents Apart Self Help Group Scotland, calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to make the Charter for Grandchildren legally binding, ensuring that the rights of children are recognised by all public agencies and families, and enforced by law.
The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government on how its strategy on fostering and kinship care will address issues in this petition and to hold further consideration of this petition pending the publication of this strategy.
PE1052 Petition by Jayne Heron calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to promote the services of independent midwives and to ensure that such services continue to be available to pregnant women in Scotland.
The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government on how it will support and assist independent midwives to ensure that, in line with its policy, pregnant women are given a choice in childbirth and whether the proposals being taken forward at UK level through the Health and Social Care Bill offer the best option for independent midwives and what alternatives, such as the Albany model, exist and have been suggested by it.
PE1055 Petition by Graeme Campbell, on behalf of MAPS (Media Access projects Scotland), calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to seek clarification on the ownership of electromagnetic broadcast spectrum in advance of the proposed spectrum packaging and award process and to seek assurances that capacity will be reserved on the digital multiplexes to enable local and new Scottish television channels originating in Scotland to be broadcast to Scottish viewers receiving the public service broadcasting channels.
The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government and the Scottish Broadcasting Commission to provide, once decisions arising from the Ofcom consultation have been taken, an update on how these will impact on the issues raised in the petition. The Committee also agreed to seek the views of the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee as part of that Committee’s evidence taking on the work of the Scottish Broadcasting Commission.
PE1056 Petition by Gordon, Jane and Steven McPherson calling for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to introduce mandatory assessment tools for all health boards for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT); to ensure commonality of patient guidance information regarding DVT; and to introduce a newborn screening programme for the Factor V gene, which has been shown to increase susceptibility to DVT.
The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and the National Screening Committee seeking updates on how each is taking forward initiatives in this area and why guidelines would take 26 months to prepare.
PE1057 Petition by Andrew Billson-Page, on behalf of the Save our NHS Group, calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to consider increasing funding for research into endometriosis and to consider ways of facilitating more effective diagnosis of endometriosis in light of the recommendations of the Kerr Report on the on the future of the NHS in Scotland.
The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government on what specific action it, and other health agencies, will take in response to the written submissions received, in particular, the points raised by the University of Edinburgh and Endometriosis UK.
PE1058 Petition by Samer Bagaeen calling for the Scottish Parliament to consider and debate the traffic, environmental and sustainability impact on existing communities in designated town centres of large 24-hour supermarket developments.
The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government seeking an update, at the conclusion of the Competition Commission’s inquiry, on what impact the recommendations and outcomes of that inquiry will have on Scottish planning policy in relation to applications for supermarket developments and clarification of the ongoing monitoring that takes place in residential areas close to such developments.
PE1059 Petition by Andrew Morton calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to support a ban on the sale and use of airguns except for certified pest control purposes or for use at registered gun clubs.
The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government inviting it to submit a detailed response following its summit on the reform of gun laws, indicating what action it will be taking, how and when and how this will be of specific relevance to the issues raised in this petition and whether the issue of educating children and adults on the proper and responsible use of air weapons would be considered at this summit.
PE1062 Petition by Mark Hirst, on behalf of the Lancastria Association of Scotland, calling for the Scottish Parliament to commission a commemorative medal to be awarded to all those (or the relatives of victims, or relatives of survivors who have now passed away) who were aboard the troopship Lancastria on 17th June 1940 when she was sunk by German bombers, claiming the lives of an estimated 4000 people, mostly troops of the British Expeditionary Force, and which resulted in Britain’s worst ever maritime disaster and worst single loss of life for British forces in the whole of World War 2, in recognition of the sacrifice of the victims and the endurance of those survivors who have tried to keep the memory of their fallen comrades alive for the past 67 years.
The Committee agreed to close consideration of this petition on the grounds that the Scottish Government has undertaken to provide a commemorative medal for each of the families of Scots killed or who survived. In closing the petition, the Committee considered that the Scottish Government should keep the petitioner informed of how it is taking this undertaking forward.
PE1063 Petition by Robert Thomson calling for the Scottish Parliament to investigate the apparent conflict of interest which exists between solicitors/advocates and clients in the present system of speculative fee arrangements (no win – no fee) and to urge the Scottish Executive to overhaul the existing speculative fee arrangement framework and procedures in order to make solicitors/advocates more accountable to their clients.
The Committee agreed to refer this petition to the Justice Committee for further consideration.
PE1066 Petition by John Thomson calling for the Scottish Parliament to consider and debate the adoption of the current symbol of the Scottish Parliament to be displayed in a prominent position in the Debating Chamber.
The Committee agreed to write again to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body on options that may be available to display the Parliament’s logo in the Chamber and the cost issue.
PE1073 Petition by Tom Minogue calling for the Scottish Parliament to investigate and establish the reasons for the apparently disproportionate number of Catholics in Scottish prisons.
The Committee agreed to write again to the Scottish Government, covering the Scottish Prison Service, on what action it is taking to investigate and analyse, for example through academic research, the disproportionate number of Roman Catholics, and Muslims, in prison and any link between social deprivation and offending and victimisation. The Committee also agreed to write to the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the issues raised in the petition.
PE1082 Petition by John Dowson calling for the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive to undertake an urgent review of their consultation and participation practices; to consider a proposal to reinstate funding to the Scottish Civic Forum at a level of at least £250,000 per annum; and to adhere to the guidance on participation as published in the Scottish Parliament’s Participation Handbook
The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government seeking further information on its work in investigating and considering ways to improve community partnership, civic engagement and outreach work with civic groups and individuals throughout Scotland.
3. Notification of new petitions: The Committee noted the new petitions lodged since the last meeting.
The meeting closed at 3.59 pm.
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