Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee
13th Meeting, 2022
Carol Mochan MSP declared no relevant interests and drew the Committee’s attention to her entry in the Register of Interests.
The Committee considered the following continued petitions—
PE1610/PE1657: Upgrade the A75/A77 Upgrade. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport.
PE1865: Suspend all surgical mesh and fixation devices. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government. It also agreed to seek a parliamentary debate on the issues raised in the petition.
PE1870: Ensure teachers of autistic pupils are appropriately qualified. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders, on the basis that: the Scottish Government does not consider that legislation is required at this point in time to ensure that teachers of autistic pupils are appropriately qualified; stakeholders raised concerns about adding additional requirements into the Initial Teacher Education due to existing pressures on student teachers; Scottish Government work on improving education for pupils with autism is ongoing and the Committee has given its full consideration of this petition. In closing the petition, the Committee agreed to write to the Education, Children and Young People Committee to highlight the evidence it has received in response to this petition in advance of its proposed inquiry into Additional Support Needs.
PE1884: Make whole plant cannabis oil available on the NHS or alternative funding put in place. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
PE1919: Prohibit sale of high caffeine products to children for performance enhancement. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
PE1926: Expand universal free school meals for all nursery, primary and secondary school pupils. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.
The Committee considered the following new petitions—
PE1927: Install CCTV cameras in all additional support needs schools. The Committee agreed to close the petition under rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that a petition on the wider issue of the use of restraint and seclusion in schools is under consideration by the Education, Children and Young People Committee. In doing so the Committee agreed to bring the issues raised in this petition to the attention of that Committee. The Committee also agreed to advise the petitioner of the public consultation on the draft guidance on physical intervention in schools, which runs until 25 October 2022.
PE1936: Remove potholes from Scotland's roads. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Road Works Commissioner, the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland, the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation, the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, the RAC Foundation, and the Road Haulage Association.
PE1937: To give children the respect they deserve by providing options for privacy when changing for P.E. The Committee agreed to write to the petitioner to highlight the Scottish Government’s consultation on school uniforms. The Committee also agreed to write to the Commissioner for Children and Young People and COSLA seeking their views on the issues raised in the petition.
PE1940: Permit Nest Protect as a valid system under new Fire and Smoke Alarm law. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders, on the basis that Nest Protect alarms do not meet the requirements for a heat alarm under the relevant British Standard; and the Scottish Government and COSLA have confirmed that there are no penalties for non-compliance.
PE1941: Stop the destruction of headstones within community cemeteries. The Committee agreed to write to COSLA and to the Chair of the Burial Regulations Working Group. The Committee also agreed to invite the petitioner and relevant stakeholders to provide evidence at a future meeting.
PE1944: Enforce engine idling ban. The Committee agreed to write to COSLA, the RAC Foundation, and Professor Adrian Davis (Napier University).
The Committee agreed its work programme.