Seòmar agus comataidhean

Only as you feel necessary.

I wonder whether colleagues would be content for us to frame this with slightly stronger language—to say that the committee is concerned about what appears to be growing evidence of a lack of urgency behind the will to take forward the issues. Given that we all support a preventative health agenda, the provision of defibrillators not only saves lives but is, potentially, through preventing the subsequent need for hospital admission and other interventions, a preventative measure that we should encourage. Taken together with the evidence that we heard on the petition in relation to schools—that Scotland seems to be lagging significantly behind the rest of the UK, for whatever reason—it seems that the impetus is just not being put into this programme in Scotland. Are members content to frame our questions in that way?

Members indicated agreement.

The committee is persuaded that there are issues, and I am not satisfied that just being told that everything is as it should be by all the organisations that currently operate matters is sufficient comfort to the committee.

Is the committee content to keep the petition open and to pursue the avenues of inquiry that we have discussed?

Members indicated agreement.

The next continued petition, PE2039, which was lodged by Amy Lee, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to pay student nurses for their placement hours. We last considered this petition at our meeting on 20 December 2023, when we agreed to write to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Royal College of Nursing and the National Union of Students. The Royal College of Nursing’s response emphasises the importance of student nurses having supernumerary status, as that means that they must not be counted as part of the workforce that is required to provide patient care. The submission states that, for that reason, the RCN does not support students being paid while on clinical placement.

In a 2022 RCN members survey, 46 per cent of respondents said that, on their last shift, nursing students were being counted as staff in terms of the numbers required to provide patient care, and the submission states that, although RCN Scotland does not support student nurses being paid while on clinical placement, it is clear that the Scottish Government must ensure that nursing students have appropriate financial support to allow them to prioritise their education, cope with the rising cost of living and complete their studies without falling into financial hardship.

The RCN’s report on nursing student finance said that 66 per cent of respondents had considered dropping out of their course due to financial concerns, and it recommended that

“Scottish government must implement a cost-of-living increase to the nursing student bursary and associated allowances, and establish a regular review to ensure the bursary increases in line with the cost of living.”

Do colleagues have any suggestions for action?

Mr Kempe, I have not had a chance to hear from you. Would like to say anything in relation to our commentary?

I am speaking in an entirely personal capacity, but we have had NatureScot before us in relation to other petitions and I have found it to be deeply unconvincing and totally unpersuasive. When I hear NatureScot being mentioned, it does not sing to me as an organisation that is always in touch with the aims of petitions. That is my view; I cannot speak on behalf of the committee when I say that.

Mr Lucas, is there anything that you would like to contribute?

Is the committee content to do as Mr Torrance suggests?

Members indicated agreement.

We move to consideration of new petitions. For those who are tuning in to hear how their petition is going to be resolved, I will start, as I always do, by saying that the committee takes advice on the issues that are raised in each petition from the Scottish Parliament information centre—SPICe—which is the Parliament’s independent research body. We also invite the Scottish Government to offer a preliminary view because, historically, those were the first two actions that we would take, and this process allows us to expedite the discussion of the petition.

The first new petition is PE2110, which was lodged by Charles Millar. It calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to develop and introduce a statutory fisheries management plan that is focused on protecting wild wrasse stocks in Scottish waters, beginning with a data collection exercise and introduction of precautionary fishery management measures ahead of the next fishing season, which commences in May 2025.

The petitioner tells us that wrasse are used as a cleaner fish to tackle lice in aquaculture facilities, and that their unusual reproductive patterns make them vulnerable to overcatching. The SPICe briefing notes that there

“is currently no Total Allowable Catch ... applied to commercial wrasse fishing”.

That means that

“there is no limit to the number of wrasse above a certain size limit ... which can be fished during the fishing season”,

which runs between 1 May and 30 November each year.

In its response to the petition, the Scottish Government highlights the mandatory management measures that were introduced in 2021. Those require Scottish vessels to successfully apply, on an annual basis, for a letter of derogation from the Scottish ministers in order to fish for wrasse. The response also refers to the UK joint fisheries statement, which contains

“a statutory commitment for the production of 43 Fisheries Management Plans”.

The Scottish Government indicates that it is

“unable to confirm or commit to the production of additional”

fisheries management plans

“beyond those that are currently in development”.

We have also received a submission from the petitioner expressing concern that

“the mandatory measures ... are insufficient to ensure the sustainability of”

the wrasse fishery. The submission also highlights the development of a wrasse fisheries management plan for England.

Ahead of today’s meeting, we have received an update from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands indicating that the Government will be undertaking “an appropriate assessment” of wrasse fishing interactions, along with assessments of special areas of conservation and marine protected areas, ahead of the next fishing season opening in May 2025.

The cabinet secretary’s update prompted a late submission from the petitioner, which has been circulated to members. It raises concerns that the Scottish Government received a report that was mentioned in the cabinet secretary’s submission in 2020, but has failed to act on it until now.

Members will also have noted that the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee is exploring issues relating to wrasse fishing as part of its consideration of amendments to the joint fisheries statement and its follow-up inquiry on the salmon farming industry.

Therefore, the Government will—however belatedly—do something in respect of the monitoring of all this. I wonder whether colleagues feel that that leads us in a particular direction.

I am slightly conscious of the time; I mention that in passing.

We move to the third theme, which is the engagement process and local buy-in.