Minutes: 24 September 2026

1. Consideration of new petitions:

The Committee considered the following new petitions—

• PE2217: Bring the Food Standards Agency hygiene rating scale to Scotland, and make it mandatory to display. The Committee agreed to write to Food Standards Scotland for its views on the petition.
• PE2218: Introduce mandatory women’s health training for all GPs and NHS healthcare professionals. The Committee agreed to write to the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to seek their views on the petition.
• PE2221: Waive the Additional Dwelling Supplement for people not buying additional homes for commercial gain. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government for further information, and to write to the Chartered Institute of Taxation, the Law Society of Scotland, Revenue Scotland, and Dan Neidle to seek their views on the petition. The Committee also agreed to write to the Petitioner to seek their response to the Scottish Government's written submission.
• PE2222: Neutralise the Impact of Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) Cuts in Scotland. The Committee agreed to write to Citizens Advice Scotland, the Child Poverty Action Group and Glasgow Disability Alliance to seek their views on the petition.
• PE2223: Allow parents of children with additional support needs to use their local authority education funding to access alternative education, including private schools, forest schools and other alternative provision. The Committee agreed to close the petition under rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the Scottish Government does not currently support the introduction of a system that would automatically transfer local authority education funding directly to parents for alternative educational provision.
• PE2224: Review legislation in order to strengthen the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. The Committee agreed to refer the petition to the Rural Affairs Committee.
• PE2225: Urgent Independent Safeguarding Review and Temporary Suspension of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) education in Scotland. The Committee agreed to write to COSLA, teaching unions and Connect to seek their views on the petition.
• PE2226: Require Business Improvement District levies to be limited to a single percentage of rateable value. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Towns Partnership to seek its views on the petition.
• PE2227: Keep Business Improvement District ballots independent with information kept secret until closed. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Towns Partnership to seek its views on the petition.
• PE2228: Protect Scotland’s volunteer-run community fairs and gala days. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government to seek clarification on the work of the Task Force on Civic Licensing, and to COSLA and the Scottish Showmen's Guild to seek their views on the petition.
• PE2229: Make Childcare Choice a Right in Scotland. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government to ask that they consider the actions called for in the petition in the context of wider public service reform. The Committee also agreed to write to COSLA, Connect, and the Centre for Public Policy at the University of Glasgow seeking their views on the petition.
• PE2230: Guarantee a neurodevelopment assessment within 6 months for children displaying risk behaviours. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government to seek further information, and to relevant stakeholders for their views on the petition. The Committee also agreed to write to the Health, Care and Sport Committee and the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee to ask if the issues raised in the petition will form part of their work programmes.
• PE2231: CAMHS Staff Need Resources, Children Need Assessments. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government to seek further information, and to relevant stakeholders for their views on the petition. The Committee also agreed to write to the Health, Care and Sport Committee and the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee to ask if the issues raised in the petition will form part of their work programmes.