Contents
- Attendance
- Decision on Taking Business in Private
- Scottish National Standardised Assessments Inquiry
- Public Petition
- Attainment and Achievement of School-aged Children Experiencing Poverty
Public Petition
Free Instrumental Music Services (PE1694)
We move to agenda item 3. Petition PE1694, on free instrumental music services, was referred to us by the Public Petitions Committee in the course of our inquiry into instrumental music tuition. I put on the record my sincere thanks to all who signed the petition; the music education partnership group, which raised the issue with the committee during our evidence session; and all those who gave evidence as part of our inquiry including the young people who were involved in our deliberations, who made very powerful contributions.
We published our inquiry report yesterday and we hope to hold a committee debate in the chamber in the near future, involving members from across the Parliament. At a future committee meeting, we will consider the responses of the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to our recommendations. In addition, we will consider how the “What’s Going On Now?” research aligns with the committee’s findings.
Our papers suggest that we close the petition at this stage. Alternatively, we could leave it open until we have received correspondence from the Scottish Government and COSLA regarding our report. I look for guidance from committee members on their preference between keeping the petition open and closing it today.
Might it be courteous to keep it open until such time as the debate has happened and the Government and other bodies have also responded to the committee’s report? While I was at home yesterday, it struck me that a couple of people had mentioned the committee’s report—that does not happen every day—which suggests that it has struck a chord with people. Given that the petition is entirely relevant to the work that we have just done, it might be courteous to act in that way.
As no other member is minded to add to that, is the committee content to leave the petition open for deliberation at a future meeting?
Members indicated agreement.