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Just before I ask whether any of you have anything further to offer, I wonder, following on from the exchange with Mr Ewing, whether there has been any further contact with the Scottish Government, beyond the two instances that have been referenced. In fact, before we meet and have the opportunity to put these issues to the minister, can you say whether it is, as far as we are publicly aware, still the Government’s position that it has no plans to do anything or that this is something that is very much on the back burner? Is that still its perception, as you see it?

PE1926, which was lodged by Alison Dowling, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to expand universal free school meals provision for all nursery, primary and secondary school pupils. It was last considered by the committee at our meeting on 28 June 2023. At that point, we agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities notes that planning is under way for the delivery of expansion of free school meals to pupils in primary 6 and primary 7, with the school estate’s readiness to accommodate the expansion looking significantly different depending on each individual school. It has also been clear that, in order for the expansion to be deliverable, the full resource and capital costs of the programme must be provided by the Scottish Government. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities does not have an agreed position on further expansion to include secondary school pupils, but it noted that any new commitments in the area would require full resourcing to enable successful delivery.

The cabinet secretary stated that it is her priority to roll out universal provision of free school meals to primary 6 and primary 7 pupils, starting with those who are in receipt of the Scottish child payment. The response also indicates that the Scottish Futures Trust surveyed the resource and capital needs of local authorities to deliver a phased roll-out of free school meal provision.

Since our last consideration of the petition, the 2023-24 programme for government has been published, with a commitment referring only to the roll-out of universal free school meal provision to primary 6 and primary 7 during 2026, with no further mention of the plans to deliver a pilot in secondary schools.

In the light of that, do members have any suggested options for action?

We would particularly like to know whether that is the case, given that that was a Government commitment.

Are colleagues content with the proposals from Mr Golden?

Members indicated agreement.

PE1956 seeks to increase the provision of wheelchair-accessible homes. The petition has been lodged by Louise McGee and calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review the existing wheelchair-accessible housing target guidance, and to explore options for increasing the availability of wheelchair-accessible housing in Scotland.

The petition was last considered on 28 June, when we agreed to write to the Scottish Government and to organisations involved with the “Dying in the Margins” exhibition. The Scottish Government has responded to say:

“Good progress has been made by local authorities in not only setting wheelchair accessible housing targets but in delivering more wheelchair accessible homes.”

As a result, the Government has no plans to review the wheelchair-accessible housing target guidance at this time.

The response also notes the Scottish Government’s

“consultation on proposed changes to Part 1 of the Housing for Varying Needs design guide”,

which will

“continue to provide design criteria for housing designed specifically for wheelchair users.”

We have also received submissions from academics involved in the “Dying in the Margins” study and from the end-of-life charity Marie Curie, which share information on the impact of inadequate housing on those who are nearing the end of life and who are diagnosed with a terminal illness.

The responses also set out the recommendations that national and local government should address the housing needs of terminally ill people and their families and carers. Many members of the committee understand that there is not much point in a response coming after a terminal illness has run its course and the person who needs housing is, unfortunately, no longer with us. Responses must be prompt and decisive.

Notwithstanding all that, do members have any comments or suggested actions in respect of the aims of the petition?

Our next petition is PE2033, on introducing a full ban on disposable vapes. My apologies, but I have a bit of an introduction to make for this one.

The petition was lodged by Jordon Anderson and calls on the Parliament to urge the Government to legislate for a full or partial ban on disposable vapes in Scotland and to recognise the dangers that the devices pose to both the environment and the health of young people.

I am conscious that there is quite a public debate around the whole issue of vapes, so it is important that I set out the following information.

We previously considered the petition at our meeting on 4 October last year, and we agreed to write to the Scottish Government and Action on Smoking and Health (Scotland)—known as ASH Scotland—Forest, representatives of the UK vaping industry and other vape manufacturers.

We have received a response from the Scottish Government, which notes that its commitment to consult on a proposed ban on single-use vapes has been taken forward through the four-nations joint consultation, which ran from 12 September to 6 December 2023.

We have also received a submission from ASH Scotland, which notes its support for a ban on disposable e-cigarettes and provides survey data on the increase in the number of young people using disposable e-cigarettes.

Responses have also been received from the Independent British Vape Trade Association and the UK Vaping Industry Association, both of which caution against the unintended consequences of banning an entire vaping product category and argue that a ban on single-use vapes would have a detrimental impact on adults trying to quit smoking.

I also draw members’ attention to the publication of draft regulations to ban the sale and supply of disposable vapes, which were published in February and are expected to come into force next April, and to the ministerial statement provided to Parliament just a few weeks ago, on 26 March, updating us on the Scottish Government’s work to tackle youth vaping.

We have also received a submission from the petitioner, expressing scepticism about Scotland’s aim to be tobacco-free in the next 10 years and suggesting that marketing campaigns are not enough to deter young people from vaping. Although the petitioner welcomes the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to the UK Parliament, he is concerned that regulation of online sales of vaping products has not been included in the bill.

It may also be pertinent to note the actions to control tobacco consumption that are currently being progressed by the UK Government at the Westminster Parliament.

In light of those various initiatives and the responses that we have received, do members have any suggestions about how we might now proceed?

Thank you, Mr Ewing. Are there any other suggestions?

We could include a question to the minister about what efforts are being made to promote the valuable work that gamekeepers do and the contribution that they make. Are we content with those proposals?

Members indicated agreement.

Are we content to proceed on that basis? Unlike the previous petition, which we will hold open to see whether what was promised occurs, in view of the information that we have received, I propose that we close the petition. Does the committee agree to do that?

Members indicated agreement.

PE2071, lodged by Dr Sally Witcher, is on taking action to protect people from airborne infections in health and social care settings. Jackie Baillie has endured our proceedings since her earlier contribution, to stay with us and contribute to our discussion of this petition, too.

The petition calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to improve air quality in health and social care settings through addressing ventilation, air filtration and sterilisation; to reintroduce the routine wearing of masks, particularly respiratory masks, in those settings; to reintroduce routine Covid testing; to ensure that staff manuals fully cover preventing airborne infection; to support ill staff to stay at home; and to provide public health information on the use of respiratory masks and high-efficiency particulate air—HEPA—filtration against airborne infections.

The Scottish Parliament information centre’s briefing states that the highest-risk list ended on 31 May 2022, and that the guidance on extended use of face masks and coverings across health and social care settings was withdrawn on 16 May 2023.

The Scottish Government’s submission explains that a robust process is in place for creating, updating, and removing Covid-19 guidance and that the information sources and decisions remain under continual review. Routine testing has now been paused, with the exception of such testing pre-discharge from hospitals to care homes and hospices.

On staff manuals, the Government explains that it has no ownership or control over the content of the “National Infection Prevention and Control Manual”. It also notes that new guidance on ventilation for non-clinical workplaces was published in October 2022, which included refreshed advice on measures to improve ventilation for individuals and workplaces, as well as new guidance detailing the most appropriate use of air-cleaning technologies.

The petitioner has provided two written submissions, which are available to members in their meeting papers. She emphasises her concerns about the on-going risks of Covid-19 at a national level. She notes that the Public Health Scotland dashboard for acute hospital admissions revealed a higher rate over the winter just past than that when the mask guidance was withdrawn.

The petitioner highlights that an estimated one in 10 infections results in long Covid, and that care workers are disproportionately affected. She points out that NHS England has guidance on the use of HEPA filters and sterilisation in hospitals, whereas Scotland focuses on ventilation. On face masks, she highlights the Royal College of Nursing’s support for reinstating mask wearing and that individual person-centred clinical risk assessment for respiratory protective equipment does not work when there is a risk for everyone in the environment. On public awareness, the petitioner asks why nothing has been done to share important information with the public about the on-going risks of Covid-19.

The Care Inspectorate has written to draw attention to its updated guidance, which makes it clear that care homes must not rely on mechanical ventilation only and must have the ability for fresh air to be provided. In response, the petitioner asks what the Care Inspectorate would consider to be adequate and suitable ventilation and how that is to be addressed and enforced.

The issues raised in the petition are similar to those on which we took evidence in respect of an earlier petition that was subsequently closed, on which we heard from long-term Covid sufferers on sustained issues arising from the former pandemic.

Before I ask members how we might proceed on the petition, I invite Jackie Baillie to address us again.

PE2072, lodged by Peter Barlow, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to offer Covid-19 vaccine boosters to teachers and school staff. The Scottish Government’s response to the petition explains that its decision making throughout all Covid-19 vaccination programmes—as with all other vaccination programmes, I think—has been guided by the independent expert clinical advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The submission states that the JCVI did not advise that teachers and school staff should have been offered a winter vaccine and that the Scottish Government had no plans to make Covid-19 vaccination available to groups that are not covered by JCVI advice. A statement on vaccinations from JCVI in February did not advise vaccination for teachers and school staff.

The petitioner’s submission states that he believes the JCVI advice to be inadequate in preventing transmission in schools, and he questioned the basis for the Scottish Government relying so heavily on JCVI advice. The petitioner shares a tweet in his submission that sums up his view that that approach from the Scottish Government is “not good enough”.

Do members have any comments or suggestions for action?