Chamber and committees

Good morning.

Food Standards Scotland’s website is a source of evidence-based nutrition-related information, but it has to compete with the misinformation that consumers might access from other digital sources. How can Food Standards Scotland ensure that its evidence-based message and advice are heard?

I wonder whether the committee would consider keeping the petition open and writing to the Scottish Government to highlight the evidence that the committee has received and to ask whether it will review the existing legislation and guidance and consider using the provisions in the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 to introduce regulations and updated guidance to ensure the welfare of the unique sheep population on St Kilda. We could also request that the Scottish Government provides the full text of its June 2009 communication with the National Trust for Scotland or that it clearly sets out the reasons for not releasing that correspondence in full.

In light of the Government’s response, I recommend we close the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders, on the basis that the Scottish Government has no plans to remove PSE from the curriculum, continues to take forward the recommendations of the Education and Skills Committee’s 2017 review of personal and social education, and views PSE as an opportunity to ensure that children and young people are prepared for the issues and challenges that lie in front of them.

What wider monitoring has been carried out of the impact of the use of SLAPPs in Scotland?

In the light of the Scottish Government’s response, I wonder whether the committee would consider closing the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders on the basis that Scottish Government officials have begun detailed work on the Scottish Law Commission’s report on cohabitation, which will include an assessment of whether it would be helpful for the Scottish Government to consult on the commission’s recommendations in that area. The petitioner could always bring the petition back if he was not happy with the findings.

I endorse everything that you have said. There is nothing in that submission to say whether the Government is for or against the petition. We are left in limbo. We should definitely go back to the Government and ask it whether it supports the petition and, if not, why not.

I agree with your suggestion, convener.

Good morning to the minister and her colleagues. Will the minister outline what discussions have been had at meetings of the UK-wide SLAPPs task force on co-ordinating non-legislative action against SLAPPs?

Thank you. I have no further questions.

In light of the evidence that we have received, I wonder whether the committee would consider writing to the national fertility group to seek a further update on its consideration of the capacity implications of any future expansion of access to NHS IVF for single women, and to ask how it might consider expanding the criteria for in vitro insemination to single people.