Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you very much, minister.

We most recently considered the petition on 31 May, when we reflected on the evidence that we had taken in April from the petitioner and from Who Cares? Scotland, CELCIS, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland and The Promise Scotland. That was a striking round-table session, which persuaded the committee of the fundamental decency and drive of Jasmin’s petition.

I think that you have already answered this question but, to open the discussion, will you provide a clear assertion of where the extending of eligibility for continuing care and aftercare through legislation sits in the Government’s priorities?

If Cara Cooper or Sarah Corbett wishes to come in, they should let me know. The minister may also invite them to come in.

I think that I follow what you are saying, minister. Through the listening exercise and the consultation, you are exploring ways in which the priority of extending eligibility for continuing care and aftercare could be realised or delivered. That may or may not be through legislation. Is that where we are at? Do you see there being a role for legislation or do you think that, through the work that you are doing, there might be another route to achieving the outcome?

Maurice Golden has a question, which I think that I have heard two answers to already, so we will see if he can drill down and get the definitive one.

PE1913, which was lodged by Wendy Swain, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to create a separate department within Social Security Scotland that will fast-track future adult disability payments—ADPs—for people with a cancer diagnosis while they are undergoing treatment.

We last considered the petition on 23 February and agreed to write to Social Security Scotland. The response from the agency reiterates that the Scottish Government provides a person-centred service and does not prioritise a single condition or type of disability above another. The response states that the Scottish Government does not support an additional fast-track procedure specifically for people with cancer and that there is a fast-track process for people with a terminal illness.

In response to questions about processing times, Social Security Scotland said that there are no targets, as no two applications are the same. However, it indicates that the majority of people will receive a decision within four months and that payments are then calculated from the date of the application.

I should have said that the Scottish Government believes that the fast-track process for people with a terminal illness would accommodate a significant number of those people with a cancer diagnosis.

Do colleagues have any suggestions in light of the Scottish Government’s decision not to take action on the aim of the petition?

Good morning, and welcome to the 16th meeting in 2023 of the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee. Our first agenda item is consideration of continued petitions. The first of those is PE1958, on extending aftercare for previously looked-after young people and removing the continuing care age cap. The petition was lodged by Jasmin-Kasaya Pilling on behalf of Who Cares? Scotland, and I am delighted to see that Jasmin, who gave evidence at a previous meeting of the committee, is in the public gallery today.

The petition calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to extend aftercare provision in Scotland to previously looked-after young people who left care before their 16th birthday, on the basis of individual need; to extend continuing care throughout care-experienced people’s lives, on the basis of individual need; and to ensure that care-experienced people are able to enjoy lifelong rights and achieve equality with non-care-experienced people. That includes ensuring that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the findings of the Promise are fully implemented in Scotland.

We last considered the petition back in May. Following that session, I am delighted to welcome to the meeting Natalie Don, the Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise, and, from the Scottish Government, Sarah Corbett, the care experience policy manager, and Cara Cooper, the head of the unit for a good childhood. Thank you all for joining us. As I said, we also have the petitioner with us in the gallery.

Minister, I understand that you want to say a few words in opening, before we move to questions. I am delighted for you to do that. Over to you.

Thank you all for being with us this morning.

Are members content for us to reflect on the evidence and any further submissions that we get and consider them afresh at a subsequent meeting?

Members indicated agreement.

We will suspend briefly to allow the witnesses to leave.

We are content. I thank the petitioner very much for bringing the petition to us.

We support it. Again, I thank the petitioner but, given the direction of Education Scotland, there is nothing more that the committee can do to take forward the aims of the petition. We thank the petitioner very much for bringing it to Parliament.

Are members content with those suggestions?

Members indicated agreement.