Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee
Annual Report of the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee 2025-2026
Introduction
This annual report covers the period 13 May 2025 to 8 April 2026.
Meetings
During the Parliamentary year, the Committee held 17 meetings. Of those, 5 were entirely in public and 12 included a mixture of public and private items.
Membership changes
The following change to the Committee's membership occurred during the reporting year:
On 2 September 2025, Davy Russell replaced Foysol Choudhury as a member of the Committee.
The work of the Committee on Petitions
Over the course of the Parliamentary year, the Committee considered a total of 164 petitions on a wide range of issues. Of these, 94 were continued petitions (i.e. petitions first considered before the start of the Parliamentary year) and 70 were new petitions (first considered during the Parliamentary year). Most petitions are considered on a number of occasions. A full list of petitions considered is included in Annexe A.
Of those petitions considered by the Committee, 159 were closed. This is higher than most years as the Committee focused on concluding work on petitions where possible ahead of the end of Session 6.
Petitions may be lodged by individuals or organisations. This Parliamentary year, 49 petitions were published. Of those, 42 were submitted by individual petitioners and seven were submitted by groups or organisations.
Since the beginning of the session, the Committee has sought a SPICe briefing and an initial submission from the Scottish Government on every new petition before the petition is included on the Committee’s 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.
The majority of the information gathered by the Committee is through written submissions. This Parliamentary year, submissions were received from:
Petitioners
the Scottish Government
relevant organisations with an interest in the petition
members of the public.
The Committee published 362 written submissions during the Parliamentary year. This figure includes the initial submissions received from the Scottish Government on every new petition.
The Committee also heard oral evidence on petitions during the Parliamentary year. Evidence sessions were conducted both in hybrid and in person enabling the Committee to hear from a wide range of people and organisations. The Committee heard from 31 people over 8 meetings.
This Parliamentary year the Committee heard oral evidence on the following petitions:
PE1876: Accurately record the sex of people charged or convicted of rape or attempted rape
PE2099: Stop the proposed centralisation of specialist neonatal units in NHS Scotland
PE2105: Safeguard Scottish Listed Buildings at risk of unnecessary demolition.
The Committee also held a number of thematic sessions.
Thematic evidence sessions
Thematic sessions are designed to help progress the aims of petitions which, while having different specific asks within them, raise recurring or similar issues across a broader theme. The sessions allow the Committee to raise the overarching issues directly with Scottish Ministers, whilst also being able to seek clarification or updates on individual petitions.
During the Parliamentary year, the Committee held five thematic evidence sessions.
Youth crime - 25 June 2025. This session incorporated two witness panels, firstly with the Lord Advocate and representatives from the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and then with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs. Petitions covered in this session were:
PE1947: Address Scotland's culture of youth violence
PE2064: Ensure that under 16s charged with rape are treated as adults in the criminal justice system
Healthcare - 24 September 2025. This was an evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. Petitions relevant to this session, and considered under a sub-theme heading, were:
Patient experience
PE1723: Essential tremor treatment in Scotland
PE1871: Full review of mental health services
PE2017: Extend the period that specialist perinatal mental health support is made available beyond one year
PE2070: Stop same-day-only GP appointment systems
Diagnostic and treatment pathways
PE1952: Specialist services for patients with autonomic dysfunction
PE2031: Provide insulin pumps to all children with type 1 diabetes in Scotland
PE2038: Commission suitable NHS services for people with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hyper mobility spectrum disorders
PE2080: Implement the recommended screening guidelines for people with Li Fraumeni Syndrome
PE2086: Recognise the vaccine injured and offer appropriate treatment
Capacity, skills and training
PE2053: Stop the cuts to community link workers and help secure their longterm future within GP practice teams
PE2078: Introduce mandatory licensing and inspection of private ambulance service providers
PE2091: Provide funding to have a CAHMS worker and a nurse based within Scottish high schools
PE2126: Ensure abortion services are available up to 24 weeks across all parts of Scotland
PE2128: Increase funding for post mastectomy (delayed) breast reconstructions and ensure that waiting time information is accurate
Sustainability of funding and health service infrastructure
PE2125: End the pause on new NHS building projects and prioritise capital funding for primary care buildings
Post-Covid-19 impacts and response
PE2071: Take action to protect people from airborne infections in health and social care settings
Emergency cardiac care - 29 October 2025. An evidence session with representatives from British Heart Foundation Scotland, Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland, and the Scottish Ambulance Service. Petitions relevant to this session were:
PE1989: Increase defibrillators in public spaces and workplaces
PE2067: Improve data on young people affected by conditions causing Sudden Cardiac Death
PE2101: Provide Defibrillators for all Primary and Secondary Schools in Scotland
Emergency cardiac and stroke care - 12 November 2025. An evidence session with the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health. Petitions relevant to this session were:
PE1989: Increase defibrillators in public spaces and workplaces
PE2048: Review the FAST stroke awareness campaign
PE2067: Improve data on young people affected by conditions causing Sudden Cardiac Death
PE2101: Provide Defibrillators for all Primary and Secondary Schools in Scotland
Energy - 14 January 2026. An evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy. Petitions relevant to this session were:
PE1864: Increase the ability of communities to influence planning decisions for onshore windfarms
PE1885: Make offering Community Shared Ownership mandatory for all windfarm development planning proposals
PE2095: Improve the public consultation processes for energy infrastructure projects
PE2109: Halt any further pump storage hydro schemes on Scottish lochs holding wild Atlantic salmon
PE2157: Update planning advice for energy storage issues and ensure that it includes clear guidance for the location of battery energy storage systems near residences and communities
PE2159: Halt the production of hydrogen from freshwater
PE2160: Introduce an energy strategy
The Public Petitions System
Part of the Committee’s remit is to “keep under review the operation of the petitions system”.
At its meeting on 21 May 2025, the Committee agreed its approach to new petitions prior to dissolution, including the cut-off date of 10 October for considering new petitions. On 24 September 2025, the Committee further considered its approach and agreed a form of words to communicate this to petitioners.
At its meeting on 14 January 2026, the Committee agreed changes to the determination on the proper form of petitions. The changes agreed are designed to assist petitioners in meeting the admissibility criteria. Changes identified, which will take effect from the beginning of Session 7, include guidance on:
ensuring the petition is clear in what it wants to achieve and what action it is asking to be taken to achieve this
clarifying the purpose of taking previous action
the naming of third parties
matters which another body (not the Government or Parliament) is responsible for
the use of personal experience.
Case studies
PE2121: Run a targeted roadside litter awareness campaign
Petition PE2121 called on the Government to run a campaign targeted principally at companies to raise awareness of the harms caused by roadside litter and the penalties that could be brought against responsible parties.
After speaking with the Petitioner to understand her main concern, the clerks worked with the Petitioner to identify a clear and actionable ask for the Scottish Government.
The petition was one part of the Petitioner’s wider campaigning work on this issue. The Petitioner had worked in her community, made representations to her councillors and engaged with her MSP. This formed a strong basis for the petition, as the Petitioner had information to share about her previous efforts to address the issue and was able to secure an MSP’s support for the petition.
The Committee wrote to Transport Scotland bringing its attention to the petition and its aims. In response, Transport Scotland recognised that there had been an increase in discarded litter across trunk roads and agreed with the Petitioner’s call for a campaign to discourage people from dropping litter. In that communication, Transport Scotland confirmed that it would work with relevant groups to run a campaign targeted at companies and the public to raise awareness of the harms caused by roadside litter, and the legislation that is in place to penalise those who drop litter.
The petition was successful in achieving its goal, and demonstrates the value in the pre-publication work that takes place between the clerks and petitioners. This example also shows the value in petitions as a tool that can be used as part of wider community and campaigning efforts.
PE1859: Retain falconers' rights to practise upland falconry in Scotland
Petition PE1859 asked the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend the Animals and Wildlife Act 2020 to allow mountain hares to be hunted for the purposes of falconry.
Having considered the petition on multiple occasions, including oral evidence sessions with the Petitioner and the Scottish Government, the Committee had sought to hold a Chamber debate on the issues raised in the petition in this reporting year.
In advance of the debate, however, during Stage 3 proceedings on the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill on 27 and 28 January 2026, the Parliament agreed to an amendment lodged by Willie Rennie MSP, after he had received representations from the Petitioner and worked with him to come up with an amendment that allows licences to be issued to take mountain hares for the purposes of falconry. The Bill, incorporating the amendment, was passed on Thursday 29 January 2026.
At its meeting on 11 February 2026, the Committee agreed to close the petition on the basis that the aim of the petition had been secured through primary legislation. In closing the petition, the Committee recognised the efforts and impact of the Petitioner, who reflected in a written submission on his experience of the petitions process.
The Committee considers this is an excellent example of a Petitioner using the awareness raised through their petition to explore other avenues within the Parliamentary process, from having the issue raised with the First Minister at a meeting of the Conveners Group, to working with MSPs across parties at each stage of the legislative process.
Equal opportunities
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. Committee clerks have provided over-the-phone support and communicated in writing with those who find digital communication difficult.
Annex A: List of Petitions considered by the Committee during the Parliamentary year
Continued petitions considered by the Committee
PE1723: Essential tremor treatment in Scotland
PE1859: Retain falconers' rights to practise upland falconry in Scotland
PE1864: Increase the ability of communities to influence planning decisions for onshore windfarms
PE1865: Suspend all surgical mesh and fixation devices
PE1871: Full review of mental health services
PE1876: Accurately record the sex of people charged or convicted of rape or attempted rape
PE1885: Make offering Community Shared Ownership mandatory for all windfarm development planning proposals
PE1887: Create an Unborn Victims of Violence Act
PE1900: Access to prescribed medication for detainees in police custody
PE1911: Review of Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006 as it relates to post-mortems
PE1933: Allow the Fornethy Survivores to access Scotland's Redress Scheme
PE1934: Develop an educational resource on gender-based violence for all year groups in High School
PE1946: To call on the Scottish Government to pay all charges for homeless temporary accommodation
PE1947: Address Scotland's culture of youth violence
PE1952: Specialist services for patients with autonomic dysfunction
PE1953: Review Education Support staff roles
PE1962: Stop motorhomes parking overnight out with formal campsites, caravan parks and Aires
PE1976: Backdate council tax discounts for dementia to the date of GP certification
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
PE1985: Evaluate Garages to Homes Developments
PE1988: Review the process for disposal of household raw sewage
PE1989: Increase defibrillators in public spaces and workplaces
PE1992: Dual the A9 and improve road safety
PE1993: Reform the financial support for social work students on work placements
PE1995: Improve support for victims of spiking
PE1999: Fully implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
PE2006: Review and simplify the legislation in relation to dismissal of property factors
PE2017: Extend the period that specialist perinatal mental health support is made available beyond one year
PE2018: Recognise the value of swimming pools and provide financial relief to help keep pools open
PE2020: Provide fertility treatment to single women
PE2025: Improve the support available to victims of domestic violence, who have been forced to flee their home
PE2028: Extend the concessionary bus travel scheme to include people seeking asylum in Scotland
PE2031: Provide insulin pumps to all children with type 1 diabetes in Scotland
PE2033: Introduce a full ban on disposable vapes
PE2038: Commission suitable NHS services for people with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hyper mobility spectrum disorders
PE2039: Fair pay to student nurses while on placement
PE2041: Exempt community healthcare staff from parking charges
PE2048: Review the FAST stroke awareness campaign
PE2053: Stop the cuts to community link workers and help secure their long-term future within GP practice teams
PE2056: Introduce legislation allowing Scottish Ministers to intervene on the hire of public land
PE2061: Require solicitors to ensure capacity of vulnerable individuals by having a medical professional co-sign legal documents
PE2062: Introduce a National Screening Programme for Prostate Cancer
PE2064: Ensure that under 16s charged with rape are treated as adults in the criminal justice system
PE2067: Improve data on young people affected by conditions causing Sudden Cardiac Death
PE2070: Stop same-day-only GP appointment systems
PE2071: Take action to protect people from airborne infections in health and social care settings
PE2073: Ensure accurate information is used when issuing court summons
PE2074: Increase local government funding to help protect the vulnerable elderly population and prevent the closure of care homes
PE2075: Prioritise local participation in planning decisions
PE2078: Introduce mandatory licencing and inspection of private ambulance service providers
PE2080: Implement the recommended screening guidelines for people with Li Fraumeni Syndrome
PE2081: Make chronic kidney disease a key clinical priority
PE2084: Allow alkaline hydrolysis
PE2085: Introduce a statutory definition of residency for Fatal Accident Inquiries into the deaths of Scots abroad
PE2086: Recognise the vaccine injured and offer appropriate treatment
PE2087: Pass a law making exercising a dog in a cemetery an offence
PE2088: Help eliminate cervical cancer through improved and at home HPV testing
PE2089: Stop More National Parks in Scotland
PE2091: Provide funding to have a CAHMS worker and a nurse based within Scottish high schools
PE2093: Review and update the Scottish Ministerial Code
PE2095: Improve the public consultation processes for energy infrastructure projects
PE2098: Provide essential investment in the Gaelic language to secure its future
PE2099: Stop the proposed centralisation of specialist neonatal units in NHS Scotland
PE2101: Provide Defibrillators for all Primary and Secondary Schools in Scotland
PE2102: Require anyone found guilty of rape or sexual assault to be registered as a sex offender
PE2103: Legislate to standardise the prescribed learning hours for Primary and Secondary schools in Scotland
PE2105: Safeguard Scottish Listed Buildings at risk of unnecessary demolition
PE2106: Prohibit mobile phone use in Scottish schools
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
PE2108: Obtain a second medical opinion before detainment under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003
PE2109: Halt any further pump storage hydro schemes on Scottish lochs holding wild Atlantic salmon
PE2110: Protect wild wrasse stocks
PE2111: Fund early learning and childcare from 9 months
PE2112: Conduct an independent review of childcare costs and availability in Scotland
PE2113: Provide support to RAAC-affected communities
PE2116: Accelerate the implementation of bus franchising powers
PE2118: Review and restructure Scotland’s flood risk management approach and operations
PE2120: Permanently remove peak fare pricing from ScotRail services
PE2121: Run a targeted roadside litter awareness campaign
PE2125: End the pause on new NHS building projects and prioritise capital funding for primary care buildings
PE2126: Ensure abortion services are available up to 24 weeks across all parts of Scotland
PE2127: Develop a new Digital Connectivity Plan for the Highlands and Islands
PE2128: Increase funding for post mastectomy (delayed) breast reconstructions and ensure that waiting time information is accurate
PE2129: Standardise criteria and consultations for assessing demand for denominational schools
PE2130: Make it illegal to remove all the hair from a horse’s tail
PE2131: Grant Scottish rivers, including the River Clyde, the legal right to personhood
PE2132: Publish a timeline for the dualling of the A96 between Inverness and Nairn by Easter 2025
PE2133: Expand ScotRail’s Inter7City routes to include Dunfermline
PE2135: Implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in Scottish legislation
PE2137: Fair regulation for non-medical aesthetic injectors
PE2139: Automatic expulsion for children charged with committing a crime against another child
PE2140: Introduce a parking badge for pregnant women
PE2146: Allow the use of privately sourced donor eggs in NHS funded IVF treatment
PE2147: Create more women-only homeless accommodation that protects and meets the specific needs of women
New petitions considered by the Committee
PE2138: Make publicly owned buildings accessible for people with colour blindness
PE2141: Support the neurodiverse community by providing funding for psychoeducation
PE2142: Review the policy on school commencement and deferred school entry in Scotland
PE2143: Introduce legislation to require all landlords to tackle damp and mould to specified standards
PE2144: Ban the sale and use of artificial sweeteners in food and drinks
PE2145: Bring in compulsory microchipping for cats in Scotland
PE2148: Improve Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to Adult Mental Health Services transition
PE2149: Install speed cameras near schools
PE2150: Amend the Scottish Housing Regulator’s mandate or create a body to protect owners of ex-council properties
PE2151: Grant protected status to primitive goat species in the Scottish Borders
PE2152: Review and update the Home Report system to ensure it protects both the seller and the buyer
PE2153: Reduce council tax by 50% for single persons
PE2154: Ensure planning consideration for equestrian accessibility
PE2155: Improve support for people trying to give up e-cigarettes and vaping
PE2156: Improve access to ADHD diagnosis and treatment across Scotland
PE2157: Update planning advice for energy storage issues and ensure it includes guidance for location near residences
PE2158: Introduce a maximum temperature for serving hot liquids to children in childcare settings
PE2159: Halt the production of hydrogen from freshwater
PE2160: Introduce an energy strategy
PE2161: Extend the time period for complaints through SPSO for neurodivergent people to two years
PE2162: Prevent strangers from filming or photographing children in public play parks
PE2163: Develop guidance on child contact domestic abuse
PE2164: Ban all non-essential single-use plastics
PE2165: Raise awareness of and provide training for Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)
PE2166: Establish a standardised timeframe for civil proceedings in child custody cases
PE2167: Stop the pavement parking ban for Scottish roads built before 2019
PE2168: Guarantee Legal Aid for “Death or Serious Injury” victims in cases against Police Scotland
PE2169: Facilitate a review and upgrade of the teaching resource “Palestine and Israel, understanding the conflict”
PE2170: Abolish the General Teaching Council for Scotland
PE2171: Stop the use of prisons for punishment and focus them on public protection
PE2172: Allow late proposals to alter the Council Tax Valuation Band in exceptional circumstances
PE2173: Ban ultra-processed foods in school meals
PE2174: Stop council tax debt collection
PE2175: Immediate ban on the sale and use of disposable (instant) barbeques
PE2176: Introduce penalties for failing to comply with Mental Welfare Commission recommendations
PE2177: Support and fund mobility services
PE2178: Introduce mandatory latex labelling for food products
PE2179: Strengthen veto powers when assessing Business Improvement District proposals
PE2180: Review the procedures and timelines for the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland
PE2181: Remove teachers’ ability to backdate and alter school records
PE2182: Review the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act and introduce a minimum sentence for severe offences
PE2183: Make Suicide Awareness and Prevention training mandatory for high school students
PE2184: Provide BID levy relief to charities and non-profit organisations
PE2185: Introduce stronger safeguards around the use of digital material in court proceedings
PE2186: Review the Personal Footcare Guidance for equity of access in rural areas
PE2187: Reinstate 6 monthly dental check-ups for state pensioners
PE2188: Extend the National Entitlement Card scheme to include ferry travel for those aged 60+
PE2189: Remove legal protected status for gulls to help reduce numbers in residential areas
PE2190: Hold an inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland
PE2191: Review legislation to strengthen the Scottish Outdoor Access Code
PE2192: Prevent domestic abusers from using bankruptcy to escape debt
PE2193: Address dangerous delays in paediatric cancer diagnostics
PE2194: Amend the Adults with Incapacity Act to prevent abuse of power of attorney
PE2195: Establish a kindergarten stage in Scottish education
PE2196: Address early sexual offending in Scotland
PE2197: Allow more survivors of care abuse to access redress
PE2198: Establish a standardised and fair public participation process for councils
PE2199: Facilitate access to emergency telephone services for remote communities
PE2200: Provide a sustainable funding model for Scotland’s colleges
PE2201: Require parents/carers to be notified by the end of the school day when an incident occurs
PE2202: Stop the Guga Hunt
PE2203: Make schools safe for pupils with allergies
PE2204: Create a national database to record endometriosis treatment outcomes
PE2205: Extend access to justice by reforming equality and human rights claim rules
PE2206: Review the weighting for single track roads in road maintenance funding
PE2207: Create a pilot court to try Russian war criminals with Ukraine
PE2208: Mandate collection and publication of child sexual offender data
PE2209: Make CCTV mandatory in all taxis and private hire vehicles
PE2210: Improve access to local healthcare in rural communities
PE2211: Follow the science and broaden eligibility for Covid vaccines