This annual report covers the period 13 May 2024 to 12 May 2025.

1. During that period, 20 meetings took place in total, of which

   • 1 meeting was held entirely in public 

   • 19 meetings were held in public and included private items. 

2. There have been no membership changes this year.

3. Over the course of the Parliamentary year, the Committee considered a total of 160 petitions on a wide range of issues. Of these, 98 were continued petitions (i.e. petitions first considered before the period covered by this annual report) and 62 were new petitions (first considered during the reporting year). Most petitions are considered on a number of occasions. Of those petitions considered by the Committee, 69 were closed. A full list of petitions considered is included in Annexe A.

4. Petitions may be lodged by individuals or organisations. This reporting year, 66 petitions have been published. Of those, 42 were submitted by individual petitioners and 24 were submitted by groups or organisations.  

5. Since the beginning of the session, the Committee has sought a SPICe briefing and an initial view from the Scottish Government on every new petition before the petition is included on a Committee agenda. This has allowed the Committee to make informed decisions on new petitions at their first consideration. This approach has worked well, and the Committee is grateful to the Scottish Government for continuing to engage positively with these requests for information.  

6. The majority of the information gathered by the Committee is through written submissions. This reporting year, submissions were received from— 

   • petitioners  

   • the Scottish Government 

   • relevant organisations with an interest in the petition 

   • members of the public. 

7. The Committee published 468 written submissions during the reporting year. This figure includes the initial submissions received on every new petition from the Scottish Government.  

8. The Committee has also heard oral evidence on petitions. During the reporting year, evidence sessions were conducted both in hybrid and in person. This enabled the Committee to hear from a wide range of people and organisations. The Committee heard from 62 people over 9 meetings. 

9. This reporting year the Committee heard oral evidence on the following petitions: 

   • PE1610: Upgrade the A75

   • PE1657: A77 upgrade

   • PE1916: Request a public inquiry into the management of the rest and be thankful project

   • PE1933: Allow the Fornethy Survivors to access Scotland’s redress scheme

   • PE1967: Protect Loch Lomond’s Atlantic oakwood shoreline by implementing the High Road option for the A82 upgrade between Tarbet and Inverarnan

   • PE2006: Review and simplify the legislation in relation to dismissal of property factors

   • PE2018: Recognise the value of swimming pools and provide financial relief to help keep pools open

   • PE2048: Review the FAST stroke awareness campaign

   • PE2089: Stop More National Parks in Scotland

   • PE2132: Publish a timeline for the dualling of the A96 between Inverness and Nairn by Easter 2025

10. Part of the Committee's remit is to “keep under review the operation of the petitions system”. This year, the Committee agreed a process of withdrawing a signature from a petition at the request of the signatory. It was agreed that signatories should be allowed to remove their signatures from open petitions. This will cover circumstances where a petition has been signed in error, or where someone no longer wishes to support a petition for a different reason (for example their opinion on the petition has changed and/or new information is available). The Committee also agreed that for closed petitions, signatories should not be allowed to remove their signatures, as the Committee's work on the petition had finished.

11. During the reporting year 2024-25, the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee continued its inquiry into the A9 Dualling Programme.

12. This inquiry was prompted by the Committee's consideration of petition PE1992, which calls on the Scottish Government to fulfil its 2011 promise to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness, improve road safety on this route, and consider the creation of a national memorial to those who have tragically lost their lives on this road.

13. Having previously gathered evidence from a range of sources including, the Petitioner, current and former Scottish Government Ministers, Transport Scotland officials and the civil engineering industry, the Committee concluded its evidence gathering  by hearing evidence from the former First Ministers, Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon MSP, on 8 and 29 May 2024 respectively.  

14. The Committee published a report on 1 November 2024, which explored the following areas – 

    • funding for the A9 dualling project

    • governance and decision-making structures, including how progress on the project was and is being monitored

    • confidence in the process going forward

    • the creation of a national memorial, and how best to commemorate all those who have lost their lives on this route.

15. Alongside publication of the Committee’s report, the Committee also published a number of documents from Transport Scotland, which included information on the advice provided to Scottish Ministers on the A9 dualling project between 2012-2023.

16. The Scottish Government responded to the Committee’s report, and the recommendations it included, on 9 January 2025. The Committee report and Scottish Government response were debated on 16 January 2025

17. Following the debate, the Committee have continued to progress the issues raised during its inquiry, specifically the role parliamentary scrutiny can play in driving momentum to complete the dualling programme through correspondence with the Parliamentary Bureau and Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.

18. PE2006, like many petitions the Committee considers, raises the national policy concerns behind an issue MSPs are familiar with in respect of individual cases brought to them by their constituents, in this case difficulties with property factors. 

19. At its meeting on 13 November 2024, the Committee considered written evidence it had received from stakeholders and members of the public, and agreed to invite the Minister for Victims and Community Safety to give evidence on the ask of the petition and to explore where progress could be made to address the petitioner’s concerns.

20. The Committee subsequently heard evidence from the Minister on 19 February 2025. During that meeting, the Committee heard that new guidance would shortly be published, which will be aimed at helping homeowners to navigate the various options for voting procedures to deal with property factors. At that time the Minister also expressed a willingness to consider new suggestions on the how the process for dismissing a property factor could be simplified.

21. The Committee will have the opportunity to consider a written update from the Minister before the end of the current parliamentary session.

22. The Committee uses a number of ways to explore the various issues being raised in petitions, one of which is inviting government ministers to give evidence.

23. Many petitions, while having differing specific asks, raise similar themes. In response to recurring or similar issues being raised through petitions, the Committee has begun to explore the use of thematic evidence sessions. This is intended to help progress the aims of petitions by allowing the Committee to raise overarching issues directly with Scottish Ministers, with the Committee continuing to seek clarification or updates on specific points for individual petitions. We hope this approach will support the Committee to develop the scrutiny of cross-cutting and repeated themes. 

24. On 2 April 2025, the Committee heard evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Transport Scotland officials on 5 road infrastructure related petitions.

25. Many of the petitions were long-running and this evidence session allowed the Committee to press the Cabinet Secretary for answers on key issues related these major roads projects.

26. The Committee will continue this approach to taking evidence on cross-cutting themes raised in petitions with evidence sessions on health and on youth justice later in 2025.

27. The Committee is keen to ensure that the petition process is made accessible to the widest range of people. To achieve this, the Committee seeks to remove any barriers that may prevent people from creating a petition and facilitates additional support for petitioners throughout the process where required. 

1. PE1610: Upgrade the A75 

2. PE1657: A77 upgrade 

3. PE1723: Essential tremor treatment in Scotland 

4. PE1812: Protect Scotland's remaining ancient, native and semi-native woodlands and woodland floors 

5. PE1856: Support the taxi trade 

6. PE1859: Retain falconers’ rights to practise upland falconry in Scotland 

7. PE1862: Introduce community representation on boards of public organisations delivering lifeline services to island communities 

8. PE1864: Increase the ability of communities to influence planning decisions for onshore windfarms 

9. PE1865: Suspend all surgical mesh and fixation devices 

10. PE1871: Full review of mental health services 

11. PE1876: Accurately record the sex of people charged or convicted of rape or attempted rape 

12. PE1877: Provide body cameras for all frontline NHS staff 

13. PE1885: Make offering Community Shared Ownership mandatory for all windfarm development planning proposals 

14. PE1896: Provide every primary school child in Scotland with a reusable water bottle 

15. PE1900: Access to prescribed medication for detainees in police custody 

16. PE1902: To allow an appeal process for Community Participation Requests 

17. PE1905: Public Inquiry into the response of religious organisations to allegations of child sexual abuse since 1950 

18. PE1911: Review of Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006 as it relates to post-mortems 

19. PE1916: Request a public inquiry into the management of the rest and be thankful project 

20. PE1919: Ban the sale of high caffeine products to children for performance enhancement 

21. PE1926: Expand universal free school meals for all nursery, primary and secondary school pupils 

22. PE1930: Ensure customers are always given information on cheapest possible fare in new Scotrail contract 

23. PE1931: Improve the R100 rollout by prioritising properties who currently have speeds of less than 5 Mbps 

24. PE1933: Allow the Fornethy Survivors to access Scotland’s redress scheme 

25. PE1934: Develop an educational resource on gender-based violence for all year groups in High School. 

26. PE1936: Remove potholes from Scotland's roads 

27. PE1941: Stop the destruction of headstones within community cemeteries. 

28. PE1945: Ban the extraction and use of peat for horticulture and all growing media by 2023 

29. PE1946: To call on the Scottish Government to pay all charges for homeless temporary accommodation 

30. PE1947: Address Scotland's culture of youth violence 

31. PE1952: Specialist services for patients with autonomic dysfunction 

32. PE1953: Review Education Support staff roles 

33. PE1958: Extend aftercare for previously looked after young people, and remove the continuing care age cap 

34. PE1962: Stop motorhomes parking overnight out with formal campsites, caravan parks and Aires 

35. PE1964: Create an independent review of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman 

36. PE1966: Formally recognise and incorporate local knowledge in Scottish Government policy 

37. PE1967: Protect Loch Lomond’s Atlantic oakwood shoreline by implementing the High road option for the A82 upgrade between Tarbet and Inverarnan

38. PE1975: Reform the law relating to Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) 

39. PE1976: Backdate council tax discounts for dementia to the date of GP certification 

40. PE1979: Establish an independent inquiry and an independent national whistleblowing officer to investigate concerns about the alleged mishandling of child safeguarding enquiries by public bodies 

41. PE1982: Review funding arrangements for higher education to help ensure more funded places are available for Scottish ballet dancers at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland 

42. PE1984: Introduce the C100 form for child arrangement orders in Scotland 

43. PE1986: Provide testing kits for drugs in public spaces 

44. PE1988: Review the process for disposal of household raw sewage 

45. PE1989: Increase defibrillators in public spaces and workplaces 

46. PE1990: Introduce a Scottish Parliament question session for young people 

47. PE1992: Dual the A9 and improve road safety 

48. PE1993: Reform the financial support for social work students on work placements 

49. PE1997: Introduce mandatory braille labelling for food products sold in Scotland 

50. PE2006: Review and simplify the legislation in relation to dismissal of property factors 

51. PE2008: Provide funding for a separate mental health A&E for children 

52. PE2009: Ensure fair access to Scottish universities for all residents in Scotland and the UK 

53. PE2012: Remove need for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) blood tests before prescribing Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) 

54. PE2013: Implementation of a National Dashcam Safety Portal 

55. PE2016: Raise awareness of Thrombosis in Scotland 

56. PE2017: Extend the period that specialist perinatal mental health support is made available beyond one year 

57. PE2018: Recognise the value of swimming pools and provide financial relief to help keep pools open 

58. PE2019: Withdraw rates relief under the Small Business Bonus Scheme from Holiday Let Accommodation 

59. PE2021: Ensure the definition of protected animals in the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 applies to the sheep on St Kilda 

60. PE2022: Introduce national safeguarding guidance on how higher education institutions should handle cases of sexual misconduct 

61. PE2024: Create a national, public information programme to raise awareness of the impacts of steroids, selective androgen receptor modulators, and other performance enhancing drugs 

62. PE2025: Improve the support available to victims of domestic violence, who have been forced to flee their home 

63. PE2026: Eliminate Council Tax discounts for second homes and vacant properties 

64. PE2027: Launch the Changing Places Toilet fund 

65. PE2028: Extend the concessionary bus travel scheme to include people seeking asylum in Scotland 

66. PE2029: Nationalise Clydeport to bring the ports and harbours on the river Clyde into public ownership 

67. PE2030: Review cultural funding arrangements to enable Scotland to contribute to the Venice Biennale in 2024 

68. PE2031: Provide insulin pumps to all children with type 1 diabetes in Scotland 

69. PE2032: Improve the support available to injured soldiers and veterans in Scotland 

70. PE2033: Introduce a full ban on disposable vapes 

71. PE2034: Stop the current proposals for Highly Protected Marine Areas (HMPAs) in Scotland 

72. PE2035: Recognise legal control of generalist predators as a conservation act 

73. PE2037: Improve literacy attainment through research-informed reading instruction 

74. PE2038: Commission suitable NHS services for people with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hyper mobility spectrum disorders 

75. PE2039: Fair pay to student nurses while on placement 

76. PE2040: Increase funding to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to prevent serious cuts to the service provided to the public 

77. PE2041: Exempt community healthcare staff from parking charges 

78. PE2042: Abolish Car parking charges for all forestry and Land Scotland sites 

79. PE2048: Review the FAST stroke awareness campaign 

80. PE2049: Introduce buffer zones outside migrant accommodation 

81. PE2050: Prohibit the use of recreational drones on national nature reserves without a permit from NatureScot

82. PE2051: Improve the processes for protecting children and young people from traumatic incidents

83. PE2053: Stop the cuts to community link workers and help secure their long-term future within GP practice teams 

84. PE2056: Introduce legislation allowing Scottish Ministers to intervene on the hire of public land 

85. PE2058: Require all dog boarding kennels to install smoke detectors, smoke alarms and sprinkler systems 

86. PE2060: Review existing legislation and legal remedies against trespassers 

87. PE2061: Require solicitors to ensure capacity of vulnerable individuals by having a medical professional co-sign legal documents

88. PE2062: Introduce a National Screening Programme for Prostate Cancer 

89. PE2064: Ensure that under 16s charged with rape are treated as adults in the criminal justice system 

90. PE2065: Improve and prioritise pedestrian safety 

91. PE2067: Improve data on young people affected by conditions causing Sudden Cardiac Death 

92. PE2068: Review and cap public sector senior management salaries 

93. PE2070: Stop same-day-only GP appointment systems

94. PE2071: Take action to protect people from airborne infections in health and social care settings

95. PE2073: Ensure accurate information is used when issuing court summons 

96. PE2074: Increase local government funding to help protect the vulnerable elderly population and prevent the closure of care homes 

97. PE2075: Prioritise local participation in planning decisions 

98. PE2078: Introduce mandatory licencing and inspection of private ambulance service providers 

1. PE2079: Introduce legislation to provide for exemptions in paying medical facility parking charges and to create a new classification of parking badge for care-givers. 

2. PE2080: Implement the recommended screening guidelines for people with Li Fraumeni Syndrome 

3. PE2081: Make chronic kidney disease a key clinical priority

4. PE2082: Improve the support provided to families affected by cot death 

5. PE2083: Review the rules to ensure that no dog becomes more dangerous as a result of breed specific regulations 

6. PE2084: Allow alkaline hydrolysis

7. PE2085: Introduce a statutory definition of residency for Fatal Accident Inquiries into the deaths of Scots abroad 

8. PE2086: Recognise the vaccine injured and offer appropriate treatment 

9. PE2087: Pass a law making exercising a dog in a cemetery an offence 

10. PE2088: Help eliminate cervical cancer through improved and at home HPV testing 

11. PE2089: Stop More National Parks in Scotland. 

12. PE2090: Update the legislation granting permission for Digital Display Boards 

13. PE2091: Provide funding to have a CAHMS worker and a nurse based within Scottish high schools

14. PE2092: Change the law and prevent children aged 5 to 17 from drinking alcohol in their home or other private premises

15. PE2093: Review and update the Scottish Ministerial Code 

16. PE2094: Review The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 and expand the remit of First-tier Tribunal to include commercial properties 

17. PE2095: Improve the public consultation processes for energy infrastructure projects 

18. PE2096: Review the council tax system

19. PE2097: Repeal the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 

20. PE2098: Provide essential investment in the Gaelic language to secure its future 

21. PE2099: Stop the proposed centralisation of specialist neonatal units in NHS Scotland 

22. PE2100: Ministerial guidance to clarify the criteria for assessing licence applications under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 

23. PE2101: Provide Defibrillators for all Primary and Secondary Schools in Scotland 

24. PE2102: Require anyone found guilty of rape or sexual assault to be registered as a sex offender 

25. PE2103: Legislate to standardise the prescribed learning hours for Primary and Secondary schools in Scotland 

26. PE2104: End the pause on prescribing puberty blockers to children in Scotland 

27. PE2105: Safeguard Scottish Listed Buildings at risk of unnecessary demolition 

28. PE2106: Prohibit mobile phone use in Scottish schools 

29. PE2107: Use more money recovered from the proceeds of crime to support community-based charities that train animals to assist in the detection of drugs 

30. PE2108: Obtain a second medical opinion before detainment under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 

31. PE2109: Halt any further pump storage hydro schemes on Scottish lochs holding wild Atlantic salmon 

32. PE2110: Protect wild wrasse stocks 

33. PE2111: Fund early learning and childcare from 9 months 

34. PE2112: Conduct an independent review of childcare costs and availability in Scotland.

35. PE2113: Provide support to RAAC-affected communities 

36. PE2114: Ensure effective regulation and oversight of social care services in Scotland 

37. PE2115: Ensure NHS dental patients have the option of white composite fillings for the treatment of molar teeth 

38. PE2116: Accelerate the implementation of bus franchising powers 

39. PE2117: Ban the use of toxic chemicals along our coasts 

40. PE2118: Review and restructure Scotland’s flood risk management approach and operations 

41. PE2119: Help protect the Black Grouse by reviewing how new forestry schemes are regulated and implemented 

42. PE2120: Permanently remove peak fare pricing from ScotRail services 

43. PE2121: Run a targeted roadside litter awareness campaign 

44. PE2122: Pardon those who were accused and convicted of witchcraft in Scotland under the Witchcraft Act 1563 

45. PE2123: Update air quality standards in Scotland to align with 2021 World Health Organisation guidelines. 

46. PE2124: Keep private and work place pensions out of divorce 

47. PE2125: End the pause on new NHS building projects and prioritise capital funding for primary care buildings 

48. PE2126: Ensure abortion services are available up to 24 weeks across all parts of Scotland 

49. PE2127: Develop a new Digital Connectivity Plan for the Highlands and Islands 

50. PE2128: Increase funding for post mastectomy (delayed) breast reconstructions and ensure that waiting time information is accurate

51. PE2129: Standardise criteria and consultations for assessing demand for denominational schools 

52. PE2130: Make it illegal to remove all the hair from a horse’s tail 

53. PE2131: Grant Scottish rivers, including the River Clyde, the legal right to personhood 

54. PE2132: Publish a timeline for the dualling of the A96 between Inverness and Nairn by Easter 2025 

55. PE2133: Expand ScotRail’s Inter7City routes to include Dunfermline 

56. PE2134: Introduce legislation to make it a requirement for swift bricks to be installed in all new developments in Scotland, and include swifts in building surveys 

57. PE2135: Implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in Scottish legislation 

58. PE2136: Make non-fatal strangulation a standalone criminal offence in Scotland 

59. PE2137: Fair regulation for non-medical aesthetic injectors 

60. PE2139: Automatic expulsion for children charged with committing a crime against another child 

61. PE2140: Introduce a parking badge for pregnant women PE2146: Allow the use of privately sourced donor eggs in NHS funded IVF treatment 

62. PE2147: Create more women-only homeless accommodation that protects and meets the specific needs of women