Chamber and committees

I wonder, convener, whether we can highlight to the petitioner that, if they are not happy, they could bring back the petition in a year’s time.

Given our report and the recommendations in it, could we write to stakeholders to ask specifically about alternative ways that they could engage with the Scottish Government outside parliamentary business?

I agree. Yesterday, I was at the event held in Parliament. Every MSP was sent a briefing at the end of it—it is in their inboxes, and it is very comprehensive. The chief officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has a lot to do with this. If we are writing to that service and the Fire Brigades Union, I wonder whether you could get his views on the matter directly from him, because he has been advising the Government.

I wonder whether the committee would consider writing to the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport to ask how the mental health assessment units in NHS Forth Valley, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lothian and NHS Highland have been evaluated and how the lessons learned have been implemented across health boards. For comparative purposes, we could also ask the minister to set out in detail the journeys for individuals who are seeking support during a mental health crisis in areas with mental health assessment units and in areas with repurposed existing services. In particular, information could be provided about each step in the process—from seeking support to receiving the appropriate care—under both approaches.

I wonder whether the committee would consider closing the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders on the basis that the Scottish Government has no plans to reform the Matrimonial Homes (Family Protection) (Scotland) Act 1981; the Scottish Law Commission is currently focusing on a review of the law on civil remedies for domestic abuse, with a consultation document expected in the first half of 2024; and the Law Society of Scotland considers that there is already a solid framework in the law that regard must be given in circumstances where there has been domestic abuse, with a full suite of powers available to judges to deal with such matters early on in proceedings.

I wonder whether we could also write to the Scottish Government recommending that better public information be provided on what is covered by exclusion orders and related legal communications.

Would the committee consider writing to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills to ask whether the update from the Scottish Council of Deans of Education has been received and for its contents to be shared with the committee? Could we also write to the General Teaching Council for Scotland to seek its views on the actions called for in the petition, specifically whether it has any plans to update the requirements for initial teacher education programmes?

Would the committee consider closing the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders on the basis that the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 contains measures that are designed to improve the position of families that are affected by domestic abuse, with measures to regulate the provision of child contact centres expected to be introduced in 2023, and the Law Society of Scotland considers that there is already a solid framework in law that regard must be given in circumstances where there has been domestic abuse, with a full suite of powers available to judges to deal with those matters early on in the proceedings?

Yes.

Good morning to the panel members. Why do local authorities provide and deliver such a low proportion of adult care services? What would it take for local authorities or health and social care partnerships to increase the proportion of services that their staff deliver directly? Could that be an effective route to ensuring consistent terms and conditions for fair work?

Those questions were a bit long winded.

Good morning, minister and other panel members. How will the reforms assist in retaining people in NHS dentistry and recruiting new people into it?