Contents
- Attendance
- Current Petition
- New Petitions
- Current Petitions
Current Petitions
Wi-fi in Public Buildings (PE1524)
The next item is consideration of three current petitions. The first current petition is PE1524, by James Macfarlane, on free wi-fi in Scottish public buildings. Members have a note by the clerk.
The petitioner seems to be welcoming what the Government is doing as progress. It seems to me that we have a direction of travel.
Members should also be aware that an email came in this morning from the petitioner.
Given that the petitioner has submitted further information, we could pass that information on to the Scottish Government and ask it to respond to the issues raised, if that is appropriate.
I have been advised that we have made a wee mistake about the email, so can we rewind and go back to Kenny? Would you like to start again from your point about the Scottish Government making progress in this area?
There is a direction of travel and, as I said, the petitioner has welcomed that. These things cannot be done overnight but there is clearly a plan to roll out wi-fi, which is necessary, and we welcome that.
Are members agreed, considering that the Scottish Government has met the terms of the petition, to close the petition?
Members indicated agreement.
Social Care (Charges) (PE1533)
The next petition is PE1533, by Jeff Adamson, on behalf of Scotland against the care tax, on the abolition of non-residential social care charges for older and disabled people. Members have a note by the clerk.
Following the evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport at the last meeting, the committee agreed to consider the evidence at this meeting and decide what action to take on the petition.
It was all a bit equivocal at the end of the evidence that we heard last time. I think that we want to get a much more specific idea of the timetable that the cabinet secretary is working towards. It would be useful.
I welcome the approach that was being articulated, but nonetheless there is an urgency and a desire on the part of the committee to move this forward. The next step would be, after reflecting on the evidence given, to ask when the cabinet secretary expects things to coalesce into something a little more definitive.
As there are no more contributions from members, are members happy to take the approach that Jackson Carlaw has outlined?
Members indicated agreement.
Sustainability Teaching and Plastic Bags Ban (PE1535)
The third and final current petition is PE1535, by Alexander Fraser, on teaching sustainability and banning plastic bags. Members have a note by the clerk and the submissions. I have also been made aware that this is the petition for which the late email came in.
I welcome the action that is being taken within education to deal with the issue.
I see where the petitioner is coming from and I think that he has made his point, but I do not think that it is for us as a committee to set the precise curriculum for schools. There has to be some flexibility. Environmental issues, including the particular points that the petitioner makes, should be raised, but we should not force more things on to a timetable that is ever more constrained.
Therefore, I think that there is a limit to what can be done—other than, as I say, making sure that the issue is raised and leaving it to education authorities and to teachers to deliver in the manner that they see fit.
I am very much of that view. I congratulate the petitioner on having drawn attention to the progress that has been made, but I think that he himself, in his latest email to the committee, respects the Government’s advance. Given what has been done and the Government’s attitude to it, we have probably taken the petition as far as we can. I would be happy to support it being formally closed.
Are members agreed to close the petition?
Members indicated agreement.
Meeting closed at 11:27.Previous
New Petitions