Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee
Scottish Government submission of 21 September 2021
PE1893/A: Introduce legislation to protect Scotland’s war memorials
Thank you for your e-mail of 25 August on behalf of the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee seeking views of the Scottish Government on the action called for in Petition PE1893 lodged by Mr James Watson, Friends of Dennistoun war memorial group which:
“Call[s] on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to introduce legislation which recognises desecration or vandalism of war memorials as a specific criminal offence”.
Prior to the current Public Petition Mr Watson last year raised an identical Public Petition (PE1830) in which the views of The Scottish Government were requested and given on 19 November 2020.
You will be aware that the Public Petitions Committee, at its 21st Meeting 2020 (Session 5) on Wednesday 9 December 2020, considered PE1830. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that there is legislation currently in place to deal with the vandalism and desecration of statutes and memorials, including war memorials, and the Scottish Government has no current plans to introduce new legislation for the specific purpose requested in the petition.
I can confirm that the Scottish Government’s position remains as set out in my letter of 19 November 2020 (PE1830/A ).
Please let me know if you require any further information.