Bond of Caution (PE1412)
Agenda item 2 is consideration of continued petitions, the first of which is PE1412, by Bill McDowell, on bonds of caution. Members have a note from the clerk on the petition. Can I have views on how we should take the petition forward?
Given that the consultation ended in September last year, I think that we should ask the Government where it is going with it. We should try to get some understanding of the direction of travel before we take a final decision.
Yes. Are members happy with that suggestion?
Members indicated agreement.
Fair Isle Marine Protected Area (PE1431)
The next petition is PE1431, by Nick Riddiford, on behalf of the Fair Isle community, on a marine protected area for Fair Isle. Again, members have the submissions and the note from the clerk.
Given the Scottish Government’s announcement on MPAs, I think that we should close the petition under rule 15.7 on the basis that the Fair Isle proposal meets the criteria for the MPAs that have been announced.
12:00
I note that this is another successful petition from the Public Petitions Committee. Through the discussions with Scottish Government officials and others arising from the submission of the petition, action has now been taken. Once again, it has been proved that the Public Petitions Committee has a role to play in making decisions that impact on communities throughout Scotland.
It is always good to be able to pat ourselves on the back.
Well, we should do that when we can, convener.
Is it agreed that we will close the petition on the basis that Angus MacDonald has suggested?
Members indicated agreement.
Gender-neutral Human Papillomavirus Vaccination (PE1477)
The next petition is PE1477, from Jamie Rae, on behalf of the Throat Cancer Foundation, on a gender-neutral human papillomavirus vaccination programme. Members will recall that consideration of the petition was deferred at our previous meeting to allow the petitioner to submit further information to the committee. That information has now been received and it has been circulated to members along with a note from the clerk.
Given that the petitioner has raised a concern that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is taking too long to issue guidance on the matter, I think that we should keep the petition open. We should also write to the JCVI, passing on the petitioner’s concern and asking for an update on the situation regarding the extension of the HPV vaccination programme to all boys. In addition, can we seek information on the timeframe for Public Health England to undertake its modelling—I believe that it has just been awarded extra funding to complete the work—and ask whether the JCVI can give us a timeframe in which it thinks that it will be able to make a recommendation on whether to extend the vaccination programme to all boys?
Those are legitimate questions for us to ask. Are members agreed?
Members indicated agreement.
A Sunshine Act for Scotland (PE1493)
The next petition is PE1493, by Peter John Gordon, on a sunshine act for Scotland. Members have a note from the clerk and the submissions that have been received. Should we ask the Scottish Government to advise us on the outcome of the consultation and whether it is minded to introduce a searchable register of interests in the form that the petitioner suggests?
Members indicated agreement.
Polypropylene Mesh Medical Devices (PE1517)
The next petition is PE1517, by Elaine Holmes and Olive McIlroy, on behalf of the Scottish mesh survivors hear our voice campaign, on mesh medical devices. Neil Findlay MSP and John Scott MSP, who have indicated an interest in the petition, cannot be with us this morning but they have indicated that they continue to support the petition.
More evidence about the treatments has been produced, and I think that we need to pursue the matter a lot further. We need to ask the cabinet secretary to ensure that the work of the expert group is made more transparent and to respond to the committee on how that transparency will be delivered. In the light of the findings of the interim report, we also need an update on whether discussions have taken place with those who were involved in the trials.
Given that there is now litigation in America concerning three types of mesh that have been used, a lot more needs to be understood about the situation. The committee has been greatly moved by the evidence that we have heard so far, but more evidence keeps emerging; therefore, we have to keep asking questions. We will continue to do that if members agree.
I would be interested in the Scottish Government’s reaction to the most recent revelations to emerge that material not fit to be used in humans has potentially been included in mesh implants that may have been used in Scotland. I would like to know whether that evidence might prompt the Scottish Government to enter into further conversations with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, which has previously asserted the safety of those devices before the committee. I would also like to ask what further conversations or investigations the MHRA is pursuing in the light of that information.
I suggest that, in the light of the concerns that have been raised, we ask for the Scottish Government’s views on the petitioners’ idea of establishing Scotland’s own independent medical watchdog. As Jackson Carlaw rightly says, the committee was not enamoured of some of the evidence that we heard from the MHRA, and it would be useful to flag up to the Scottish Government the call for an independent medical watchdog to be established.
We can at least ask the Government whether that is being considered or is considered to be viable. It is definitely worth considering.
There are a few things that we have noted that we want to pursue. Is everyone agreed that we do that?
Members indicated agreement.
Accessible Rail Travel (PE1575)
The next petition is PE1575, by Alex Scott MBE, on accessible rail travel. Members have a note from the clerk and the submissions. Do members think that we have taken consideration of the petition as far as we can?
I think that we should consider closing it.
Do we agree to close the petition on the basis of the responses that we have received?
And on the basis of the actions that are under way.
Yes.
Members indicated agreement.
Forth Circle Rail Link (PE1578)
The next petition is PE1578, by Martin Keatings, on a Forth circle rail link. Members have the paperwork that accompanies the petition. Again, the responses seem to address what was raised in the petition. On that basis, should we close it?
Members indicated agreement.
School Libraries (PE1581)
The next petition is PE1581, by Duncan Wright on behalf of Save Scotland’s School Libraries, on saving those facilities in our schools. The paperwork is in front of everyone. I am not sure that we can close this petition—there is a bit of work to be done.
Options include writing to the Association of Directors of Education Scotland to ask whether it would consider leading on the production of a national strategy for school libraries, and writing to COSLA again to seek its views on the petition and its comment on reports that several local authorities are cutting back on school library provision.
I have concerns because this is an issue on which, as a regional member for West Scotland, I continue to receive representations from school librarians. Without getting into the politics of it, they very much feel that the pressures on local authority spending are leading to the reduction of the library service in schools being seen as a first and easy option for reducing expenditure. They talk of a loss of expertise with a reduction in staff, and of remaining staff having to be shared across various school libraries. All that is a diminution of a service in an area of education that I think everybody would accept is fundamentally important: the ability to enjoy reading.
It would be interesting to collate what COSLA can tell us about its understanding of the likely number of librarians who will be employed across Scotland’s local authorities in the course of the next year, if what many of my constituents are writing to tell me is true.
That is a legitimate question. I do not know whether COSLA collates that information, but we can certainly ask.
Since the petition came in front of us, I have taken an interest in media reports about how local authorities are looking at this type of issue in their proposed budgets. In almost every article I read, it appears that one of the targets for cuts is the libraries. I suppose that that is understandable because they are an easy hit, and we understand the pressure that local authorities are under. However, I am increasingly of the view that it is a false economy, and our educational system will be undermined if we do not protect our libraries much better than we currently are doing.
We have to get to the bottom of the matter and establish how much impact the budget cuts are having on our school libraries. The issue is vital, as the petitioner made us all aware when he presented the petition. I think that we have a bit of work to do to ensure that we are looking at the issue and trying to promote the petition in the best way that we can.
Does everyone agree that we should do that?
Members indicated agreement.
Compulsory Pet Insurance (PE1582)
Our final petition this morning is PE1582, by Karen Harvey, on compulsory pet insurance. I think that we have to close the petition. The petition is interesting, but I think that the responses that have come back do not surprise us. I do not think that there is much more that we can do to take the issue forward. I thank the petitioner for bringing an interesting petition in front of us; it was worthy of consideration.
Members indicated agreement.
Meeting closed at 12:09.Previous
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