Chamber and committees

It is a very difficult situation if the Scottish Government is not going to move on the matter at all. I wonder whether we could write to the Government, highlighting the recommendations of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales. We could ask that it consults on the introduction of legislation that places certain individuals—mandated reporters—under a statutory duty to report child sexual abuse, and that it considers the need for and value of a child protection authority for Scotland.

The Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce recommends that the MATS should be embedded by May 2024. Is the Scottish Government on course to meet that? If not, how much work is still to be done?

Considering that the UK Climate Change Committee recommends a reduction of meat consumption rather than a ban on production; that the Scottish Government’s climate change plan update sets out a plan for a 24 per cent reduction in overall emissions from the agriculture category by 2032; that banning meat production may have negative environmental and economic consequences; and that the Scottish Government has stated that it continues to actively promote the consumption of fresh, local and seasonal produce, I suggest that the committee consider closing the petition under rule 15.7 of the standing orders.

In light of the Scottish Government’s response and there being no plans to reintroduce the right-to-buy scheme for council tenants, I think that there is nothing that the committee can do but close the petition under rule 15.7 of the standing orders.

The committee could consider writing to Police Scotland, seeking information on the number of threatening and abusive behaviour offences that have been recorded in each year over the past decade and whether the data can be broken down by occupation and workplace. The committee could also write to the Scottish Taxi Federation and Unite Scotland to seek their views on the petition.

Okay. If that is the case, would the committee like to ask the petitioner and the SPSO to give evidence to members?

I also have another, rather lengthy, ask. Could we write to the SPSO on the issues raised in the petition, including its approach to the handling and consideration of evidence and the rationale for not reviewing its decisions when complaints are upheld? Could we also write to the Scottish Government to clarify its view on the need for, or the desirability of, a review of the SPSO after 20 years of operation, and ask whether it considers that its processes and safeguards in relation to the SPSO are sufficient and effective? Finally, could we ask the Government whether it considers that the legislation governing the SPSO is fit for purpose, whether it would benefit from a review and what revisions might be required?

Considering that there is another parliamentary committee working in this area, I would like to refer the petition to the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee for it to consider as part of its work on inshore fisheries issues.

As the consultation has been published and the cabinet secretary has indicated that there are no plans to abolish school uniforms or mandate specific school uniforms, I do not think that we can take the petition any further. I would like to close the petition under rule 15.7 of the standing orders.

The committee should keep the petition open until the fourth national planning framework is finalised and approved, so that we can see an updated version. We should also write to the Royal Town Planning Institute, Homes for Scotland and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to seek their views on the issues raised in the petition.

We should keep the petition open and, in doing so, write to the Scottish Government to highlight the UK Climate Change Committee’s recommendations to ban practices such as rotational burning on peatland by 2020 and to ban peat extraction, the sale of peat and peat imports by 2023. We should ask how feasible it would be to ban the extraction and use of peat by 2023; when the Scottish Government expects the delivery plan and timetable for phasing out horticultural peat to be developed and produced; when the public consultation will be launched; and how the petitioner can contribute to the consultation.