Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee
9th Meeting, 2023
The Committee agreed to take items 4 and 5 in private.
The Committee considered the following petitions:
PE1864: Increase the ability of communities to influence planning decisions for onshore windfarms. The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning.
PE1900: Access to prescribed medication for detainees in police custody. The Committee agreed to note the recent commitment by the Minister for Alcohol and Drugs Policy to carry out a rapid review of each health board and keep the petition open pending completion of that exercise.
PE1906: Investigate options for removing and reducing the impact of the central Glasgow section of the M8. The Committee agreed to write to Glasgow City Council.
PE1953: Review Education Support staff roles. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
PE1958: Extend aftercare for previously looked after young people, and remove the continuing care age cap. The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise, and to invite the Minister to give evidence at a future meeting.
PE1960: Formally recognise private hire cars and taxis as modes of public transport. The Committee agreed to write to the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland.
PE1961: Make it a specific offence to assault, threaten or abuse a private hire or taxi driver while at work. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government.
The Committee considered the following new petitions—
PE2012: Remove need for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) blood tests before prescribing Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). The Committee agreed to write to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and NHS Education for Scotland.
PE2014: Revert to the appeals system used in 2022 for SQA exams. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
PE2015: Extend the right to vote in Scottish local government and Scottish Parliament elections to all prisoners. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders.
The Committee decided to accept an unsolicited submission on petition PE1979 (Establish an independent inquiry and an independent national whistleblowing officer to investigate concerns about the alleged mishandling of child safeguarding enquiries by public bodies) and agreed to publish the submission anonymously.
The Committee agreed that any private briefing material prepared by SPICe for the Committee’s future consideration of petition PE1992 (Dual the A9 and improve road safety), and any confidential submissions received on the petition, be shared with Edward Mountain, reporter on the petition for the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.
The Committee considered a draft report. Various changes were agreed to and the Committee agreed to consider a revised draft, and an executive summary, at its next meeting.