Chamber and committees

Yes.

Can we ask the cabinet secretary to appear before us, rather than write to him, so that we can ask questions and hear evidence?

I agree that it is very difficult to explore any other avenues. I am happy to close the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders.

I have just looked at the submissions from the University of Dundee. Could we get an update from the University of Dundee? The last time that we heard from it was on 18 December 2020, when it said that it was hoping to have the equipment installed and up and running by 2021.

Like the convener, I think that we should keep the petitions open. We should write to the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport to seek an update on the progress of strategic transport projects review 2 and request an indication of when phase 2 outcomes will be announced. We can also ask him about his views on the United Kingdom Government upgrading the road. I would like to wait until we get written submissions back to see whether we should go ahead with holding a round-table meeting.

As someone who was a member of the session 5 committee when that evidence was given, I would like to ask the Scottish Government about the outcomes of the round-table event, what progress has been made in establishing an infectious diseases managed clinical network, what it has done to promote a public awareness campaign on Lyme disease and its long-term effects, and what further research is being done.

No—I do not.

I agree with Bill Kidd that we should keep the petition open and I back up his suggestions. I would like to get a legal opinion on the suggestion that ADP must be delivered on a “like for like basis” and that

“any changes which widen eligibility risk DWP deciding that ADP is not a comparable benefit to PIP and withdrawing automatic entitlement to reserved payments from Scottish clients.”

I would like to know whether that is definitely the case.

This petition has been running for more than seven years. I was there at the beginning of session 4, and I saw it through session 5 and then session 6. We have received more than 100 written, and several oral, submissions. As the convener said, we have also had debates in the Parliament and lots of questions about the issue.

I put on record a big thank you to the petitioners and to all the women who have turned up. It is probably some of the most emotional evidence that I have ever had to take in my time sitting on any committee. I thank the petitioners very much for their perseverance, because we have got a result. Although it has taken a lot of years and perhaps a lot longer than the petitioners would have liked, we have, finally, got a result. I thank them and everybody who has supported them.

I would like to close the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders.

Good morning, cabinet secretary.

In session 5, the Health and Sport Committee reported on the creation of a national digital platform and problems around data sharing. There has been a huge increase in use of technology. Before the pandemic, there were around 1,200 Near Me and video consultations per month; there are now 12,000 per week. What progress is being made on use of a single digital platform and on the problems around data sharing?