Minutes: 25 October 2023

1. Decision on taking business in private:

The Committee agreed to take items 5, 6 and 7 in private.

2. Consideration of continued petitions:

The Committee considered the following continued petitions— 

PE1723: Essential tremor treatment in Scotland. The Committee agreed to write to NHS Tayside.    

PE1871: Full review of mental health services. The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport.  

PE1885: Make offering Community Shared Ownership mandatory for all windfarm development planning proposals. The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Energy and the Environment and the Scottish National Investment Bank. 

PE1968: Restrict perpetrators of domestic abuse from using family court proceedings to continue tormenting their victims. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders. 

PE1981: Ensure perpetrators of domestic abuse, who have been excluded from the matrimonial home, cannot force the sale of the property. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders. In closing the petition, the Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Law Commission and the Scottish Government.  

PE1990: Introduce a Scottish Parliament question session for young people. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Youth Parliament, the Children’s Parliament, the National Union of Students, Who Cares? Scotland, the Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities, the Intercultural Youth Scotland, Children in Scotland, Youthlink Scotland and the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body.

3. Consideration of new petitions:

The Committee considered the following new petitions— 

PE2035: Recognise legal control of generalist predators as a conservation act. The Committee agreed to invite the petitioner to give evidence at a future meeting of the Committee. It also agreed to write to the Scottish Government. 

PE2037: Improve literacy attainment through research-informed reading instruction. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and the General Teaching Council for Scotland. 

PE2040: Increase funding to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to prevent serious cuts to the service provided to the public. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and the Fire Brigades Union. 

4. Written Submissions (In Private):

The Committee agreed to update its policy on written submissions.

5. Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2024-2025 (In Private):

The Committee considered and agreed a draft letter to the Minister for Parliamentary Business.

6. Previous action information in petitions (In Private):

The Committee agreed to revise its policy on publication of “previous action” information in petitions.

7. Inquiry into A9 Dualling Project (In Private):

The Committee considered evidence heard to date, and its wider approach to this inquiry. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government and to all relevant Government Ministers who served in the Scottish Government since 2012.