Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee
Meeting Minutes
2nd Meeting, 2022
- Date: Wednesday, February 2, 2022
- Session: 6
- Location: T1.40-CR5 The Smith Room
- Meeting opened at: 10:00
- Meeting closed at: 12:00
- Published: Thursday, February 3, 2022 04:45pm
Also Present
Liam McArthur MSP, Rhoda Grant MSP, Jackie Baillie MSP, Alasdair Allan MSP, Carol Mochan MSP
1 Decision on taking business in private:
The Committee agreed to take item 4 in private.
2 Consideration of continued petitions:
The Committee considered the following continued petitions—
PE1804: Halt Highlands & Islands Airports Ltd's Air Traffic Management Strategy. The Committee agreed to invite the petitioners and Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd to provide evidence at a future meeting. The Committee also agreed to write to the Civil Aviation Authority and Prospect and to review the evidence it had previously received from air operators.
PE1812: Protect Scotland's remaining ancient, native and semi-native woodlands and woodland floors. The Committee agreed to invite the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, the Petitioners, the Forestry Commission and the RSPB to give evidence.
PE1860: New legislation for Prescription and Limitation Act. The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Community Safety.
PE1862: Introduce community representation on boards of public organisations delivering lifeline services to island communities. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands.
PE1864: Increase the ability of communities to influence planning decisions for onshore windfarms. The Committee agreed to invite the relevant Cabinet Secretary to provide evidence to the Committee. It also agreed to write to the Local Government Association.
PE1865: Suspend all surgical mesh and fixation devices. The Committee agreed to invite the Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport to give further evidence to the Committee. It also agreed to invite the Chief Medical Officer and Shouldice Hospital to give evidence.
PE1867: Establish a new national qualification for British Sign Language (BSL). The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government, the Scottish Qualifications Authority, Deaf Action, Enquire, the National Deaf Children’s Society Scotland and the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition.
PE1885: Make offering Community Shared Ownership mandatory for all windfarm development planning proposals. The Committee agreed to invite the relevant Cabinet Secretary to provide evidence.
PE1887: Create an Unborn Victims of Violence Act. The Committee agreed to invite the petitioner and relevant stakeholders to give evidence on the issues raised in the petition. The Committee also agreed to write to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Sentencing Council.
PE1892: Introduce a law that makes attacks by one dog on another dog a crime. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the Scottish Government has committed to reviewing the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. In closing the petition, the Committee agreed to write the Scottish Government to highlight the information provided by Polmont Veterinary Clinic.
PE1895: Mandatory accountability for NatureScot's decision making procedures. The Committee agreed to write to NatureScot.
PE1897: Reform certain of the procedures for the collection of Council Tax. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government and COSLA.
PE1898: Make entering someone's home without their permission or warrant a crime. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service have detailed various offences which may be relevant in circumstances where a person enters the home of another without permission; and Police Scotland are unaware of any scenarios where the existing law would be insufficient to deal with matters criminally if required.
3 Consideration of a new petition:
The Committee considered the following new petition—PE1913: Fast-track future Adult Disability Payment applications for people undergoing cancer treatment. The Committee agreed to write to Macmillan Cancer Support and Cancer Research UK. It also agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
4 Work programme:
The Committee agreed its Work Programme and agreed to consider this item in private at all future meetings. The Committee also agreed to delegate authority to the Convener to agree witnesses and participants for committee meetings and informal sessions relating to the Work Programme and to undertake any associated media and communications work on behalf of the Committee.