Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee
Meeting Minutes
2nd Meeting, 2021
- Date: Wednesday, September 1, 2021
- Session: 6
- Location: T1.60-CR4 The Clerk Maxwell Room
- Meeting opened at: 09:02
- Meeting closed at: 11:09
- Published: Thursday, September 2, 2021 08:05am
Also Present
Oliver Mundell (PE1864)
1 Consideration of new petitions:
The Committee considered the following new petitions—
PE1850: Natural flood prevention on grouse moors. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the Scottish Government has made clear that it does not consider natural flood management methods to be an appropriate condition of obtaining a grouse moor license; SEPA and other responsible authorities are undertaking work on local flood risk management; there is not currently enough evidence to demonstrate the role of grouse moors or their potential role in flood risk mitigation; and the issues the petitioner is seeking to address are not confined to grouse moors.
PE1851: Justice for the public in the legal system. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the Scottish Government plans to bring forward secondary legislation covering changes to the process of complaint categorisation; process of complaint investigation, reporting, determination and conclusion of cases; and rules for fee rebates early in this session of the Parliament ahead of more wide-ranging reform on legal services (including legal complaints); petition PE1458 which calls for the introduction of a judicial register of interest is currently being considered by the Justice Committee; and the Scottish Law Commission has the statutory function of keeping the law under review with the ultimate task of recommending reforms to improve, simplify and update the law of Scotland. The Committee also agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
PE1852: Increase planning protection for Scottish battlefields. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the Scottish Government already has processes and procedures in place to ensure the protection and preservation of Scottish Battlefields, and it has no plans to review these processes further. The Committee also agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
PE1853: Introduce a lifeline ferry service from Campbeltown to Ardrossan. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
PE1855: Pardon and memorialise those convicted under the Witchcraft Act 1563. The Committee agreed to write to both the petitioner and the Scottish Government.
PE1856: Support the taxi trade. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
PE1857: Regulate the role of curator ad litem. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, the Scottish Social Services Commission, the Mental Welfare Commission, Law Society Scotland and the Office of the Public Guardian Scotland.
PE1858: Provide free face masks for everyone in Scotland. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the Scottish Government has committed over £1 billion of additional investment to help local communities and build resilience in public services, some of which has been used to provide face coverings free of charge to people on low incomes and for particularly vulnerable groups such as homeless people, as well as a range of other funding packages related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee also agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
PE1859: Retain falconers rights to practice upland falconry in Scotland. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
PE1860: New legislation for Prescription and Limitation Act. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
PE1861: Use teacher assessed grades to award national qualifications in 2021. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the petitioner has requested this, given that the 2020-2021 academic year has concluded, and results have already been awarded to students.
PE1862: Introduce community representation on boards of public organisations delivering lifeline services to island communities. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
PE1863: Mandatory annual cancer blood test from the age of 55. The Committee agreed to write to the UK National Screening Committee and other relevant stakeholders.
PE1864: Increase the ability of communities to influence planning decisions for onshore windfarms. The Committee agreed to write to Heads of Planning Scotland, Royal Town Planning Institute, Scottish Renewables, Planning Democracy and Planning Aid for Scotland.