Chamber and committees

I wonder whether we could write to the Scottish Government to seek an update on the working group that has been established to assess potential models and understand any required changes to the screening programme to support the initial roll-out of HPV self-sampling. Monica Lennon has highlighted that that is really important, and my better half just lost a cousin at the age of 39 last Friday to the illness, so I know how important it is to get sampling done and to get tested.

I will ask about something that was mentioned earlier. Will you explain what evidence the Fornethy survivors must show to Redress Scotland to establish that the exclusion for short-term respite or holiday care does not apply to their cases?

In the light of the evidence, I wonder whether the committee would consider closing the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders, on the basis that the Scottish Community Development Centre is currently working on proposals for the participation request appeals process as part of the Scottish Government’s review of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. NHS Highland has explained its decision to the Caithness Health Action Team and is open to a community participation request resubmission or continued and formal engagement. In closing the petition, the committee could add that, if a petitioner is not satisfied with the outcome of the Scottish Government’s review, a further petition could be lodged in a year’s time.

Would the committee consider writing to ask the Scottish Government whether it has explored the possibility of removing the requirement for an individual to be eligible for a qualifying benefit in order to receive a council tax exemption on the basis of severe mental impairment?

I am not saying that we cannot write to the minister but, in the light of the evidence that the committee has received, I would like to close the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders, on the basis that work is under way to develop a consistent nationwide approach to collection of data relating to relevant criminal convictions and criminal charges from students, with Universities Scotland working closely with stakeholders in the Scottish Government’s equally safe in colleges and universities core leadership group to progress the work.

In closing the petition, the committee may wish to write to the Education, Children and Young People’s Committee to highlight the petition and to ask that the evidence that has been gathered is taken into consideration as part of its work on the equally safe strategy.

Perhaps the committee could consider writing to the Scottish Government to ask how it evaluates the provision of counselling in secondary schools and how CAMHS referrals are monitored in secondary schools to ensure that they are completed correctly and effectively, and to highlight the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland’s 2023 report on counselling in schools and ask what consideration it has given to the recommendations, especially the recommendation about establishing clear waiting time targets.

Given that it is a new petition, perhaps the committee could consider writing to Heads of Planning Scotland to seek its views on the action that is called for in the petition and information on the number of applications that are submitted for digital display boards, including on what proportion of applications are granted and what proportion are rejected, and to the Royal Town Planning Institute and Outsmart, which is the membership body for the outdoor advertising industry, to seek their views on the action that is called for in the petition.

I will come in on the point about statutory guidance and documentation to show that the individual was at Fornethy or any other establishment. What would they have to show to say that they were there, if there were no legal documents to show that they were?

Thank you. I have no further questions, convener.

Can you explain how the balance of truth and probabilities is applied? I know that some of the survivors are here today. How would you go through that process?