Chamber and committees

Yes, please, and indicate when you are finished.

If the committee agrees, we will close the petition under rule 15.7 of the standing orders.

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you very much for that comprehensive list of stakeholders, Paul. I hope that the clerks got them all.

PE1915, which has been lodged by William Sinclair, is on the reinstatement of Caithness county council and Caithness national health service board. The petitioner has highlighted particular concerns about the loss of consultant-led maternity services and the closure of two palliative care hospitals in Caithness.

In its submission, the Scottish Government states its commitment to ensuring that

“decisions are taken at the right level, and as close as possible to those most affected.”

It highlights the joint local governance review with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, which it states

“aims to strengthen local democracy by considering how power should be shared between national and local government, and with ... communities”

and highlights on-going work to create a national care service and the recent consultation on this topic, stating:

“there are currently no plans to bring about any changes to the structure of NHS Boards.”

The Government also states its intention to introduce a local democracy bill within the lifetime of this Parliament.?

The submission explains that the decision to change from a consultant-led obstetric unit in the Caithness general hospital to a midwife-led community maternity unit was

“taken on the grounds of safety”.

Moreover, in relation to palliative care, the submission advises that although Caithness has no

“specific hospice facilities, the teams locally work very closely with the Highland Hospice located in Inverness.”?

Do colleagues have any comments?

PE1917, which has been lodged by Amy Stevenson, is on providing full legal aid to all parents fighting for access to their children.

The petitioner highlights that, when couples separate and are unable to agree on contact arrangements, parents are often faced with High Court costs and contact centre access fees that they might struggle to afford. She states that that often results in many parents experiencing mental health issues.?

The Scottish Government’s submission on?this petition highlights a 2019 consultation on legal aid reform in which 75 per cent of respondents agreed that those who could afford to contribute towards costs should do so. It also explains that

“The number of cases relating to child contact and residence means that providing legal aid without a means test for those seeking these court orders would have a considerable impact on the legal aid budget”,

and it advises that the Scottish Government provides financial support to Relationships Scotland for the operation of contact centres.

Do colleagues have any comments?

Do we agree to keep the petition open and write to the relevant stakeholders?

Members indicated agreement.

Our next new petition is PE1920, from Laura Hastings, calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to provide more thorough follow-up care for women with diabetes.

In its submission, the Scottish Government outlines a range of initiatives that are available to educate and support people who live with diabetes. They include its?women’s health plan, which was published in August 2021, and its diabetes improvement plan, which was published in February 2021. The improvement plan has eight priority areas, which include mental health, and a focused set of actions that is overseen by the Scottish diabetes group.

Do members have any comments?

Welcome to the third meeting in 2022 of the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee. There are apologies from our convener, Jackson Carlaw, and I will convene today’s meeting in his place.

Agenda item 1 is consideration of continued petitions. PE1855, which was lodged by Claire Mitchell QC, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to pardon, apologise to and create a national monument to memorialise the people in Scotland who were accused and convicted of being witches under the Witchcraft Act 1563.

When we last considered the petition, in January, we decided to invite the petitioners here in order to hear from them directly. I am therefore pleased to welcome Claire Mitchell QC, who joins us in the Scottish Parliament, and Zoe Venditozzi, who joins us remotely. Claire, do you have any initial comments?

Thank you. My colleagues will now ask questions.

Our final petition is PE1921, from Maddy Dhesi, on behalf of Hands Off Our Vote, calling on the Scottish Government to confirm that it will not introduce voter identification in devolved Holyrood or local elections in Scotland and that it will communicate that to voters.

In its submission, the Scottish Government confirms that it has no plans to introduce voter ID in devolved elections. It notes that that contrasts with the UK Government’s Elections Bill, which is at its second reading in the House of Lords.?The submission explains that the UK bill would require voters to show an approved form of photographic identification before collecting their ballot paper to vote at UK Parliament general elections in Great Britain, local elections in England and police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales.

The Scottish Government?is also aware of concerns regarding confusion in the event of a UK poll occurring on the same day as a Scottish poll with different identification requirements for each contest. It also notes the additional responsibility that that would place on presiding officers at each polling station to police the ID requirement.

Do members have any comments?