Minutes: 08 October 2026

1. Decisions on taking business in private:

The Committee agreed to take items 3 and 4 in private.

2. Consideration of new petitions:

The Committee considered the following new petitions—

• PE2214: Officially annually recognise 23rd of August as Wallace Day in honour of Sir William Wallace. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government to ask it to keep the Committee informed of any progress made on the issue raised in the petition. 
• PE2245: Keep the William Wallace letter in Scotland. The Committee agreed to write to the National Archives and the National Records of Scotland to seek their views on the actions called for in the petition.
• PE2232: Ban beehives in public spaces until statutory national safety regulations are in place. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government to seek further information, and to the Scottish Beekeepers’ Association and SRUC for their views on the petition.
• PE2233: Moratorium on planning applications for all hyperscale data centres until their environmental impacts have been fully assessed. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government to seek further information, and to the Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee to ask if the issues raised in the petition will form part of its work programme.
• PE2234: Reduce MSP Salaries to the Median Scottish Full-time Income. The Committee agreed to close the petition under rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body does not support the petition's proposals and considers that current MSP remuneration arrangements remain fair, proportionate and reflective of the responsibilities of elected office.
• PE2236: Transfer administration of mandatory charitable rates relief to independent third sector processes. The Committee agreed to close the petition under rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis of points raised in the Scottish Government's written submission. In closing the petition, the Committee agreed to write to COSLA to clarify points raised by the Petitioner, and to send that response to the Petitioner.
• PE2237: Create a “stage not age” health and social care and benefit system for people with exceptional complex medical needs. The Committee agreed to write to ARC Scotland, CELCIS, the National Social Work Agency, the Fostering Network, and Talking about Tomorrow, seeking their views on the petition.
• PE2238: Automatically remove parental rights upon the conviction of a child sexual/domestic abuse offence. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government to seek further information on its review of the current legal position in Scotland in relation to automatic restriction or suspension of a person’s Parental Responsibilities and Rights when they are convicted of certain serious offences.

3. Admissibility decision (in private):

The Committee agreed that a proposed petition on the nationalisation of all dental clinics in Scotland is inadmissible in its current form.

4. Work programme (in private):

The Committee considered its work programme. The Committee—

• agreed to the principle of a pilot of Committee-based debates on petitions, and to consider the format of these at a future meeting;
• considered additional approaches to petition scrutiny, including site visits and chamber debates;
• agreed to visit Burntisland Hedgehog Haven in November 2026, as part of consideration of PE2213: Introduce the Small Animal road signs in Scotland; and
• considered the Committee Standards of Service document agreed by Conveners Group in September 2026.