NHS 24 (Free Calls from Mobile Phones) (PE1285)
Agenda item 3 is consideration of four current petitions, the first of which is PE1285, by Caroline Mockford, on free calls to NHS 24 from mobile phones. Members have a note from the clerk—paper PPC/S4/12/7/4. I invite comments from members.
I would like to continue the petition and ask for an update from the Scottish Government on when it expects to make a decision on the use of 111 numbers.
Do members agree to Sandra White’s recommendation?
It is agreed that we will continue the petition, as set out in paragraph 19(1) of the clerk’s paper.
Gypsy Traveller Encampments (Guidance) (PE1364)
The second current petition is PE1364, by Phyllis McBain, on clarifying guidelines on Gypsy Traveller encampments. Members have a note by the clerk, which is paper PPC/S4/12/7/5, and a submission. I invite contributions from members.
I am trying to balance up the issue. Part of me thinks that we should keep the petition open and see what comes out of the review, but I can also see an argument for closing it on the basis that the petitioner has been invited to contribute to the review. The length of time that the review will take to reach its conclusions leads me to assume that, if the petitioner is dissatisfied with the outcome of the review, she could submit a fresh petition. I am therefore leaning toward suggesting that we close the petition, but we can make it very clear to the petitioner that I and Nanette Milne, as local members, will continue to keep an eye on the issue. We could wait a while for the outcome of the review; it would be strange to keep the petition open indefinitely.
I am content to take on board the local members' suggestion that the petition be closed.
I, too, am happy to support that suggestion.
That is a sensible way forward. What the petitioner has called for has, in effect, happened in the sense that the review has been set up. We have to look carefully at what the petitioner is calling for before we decide. Mark McDonald has made a sensible suggestion. Do colleagues agree to close the petition under rule 15.7, on the basis that what the petitioner wanted has been achieved?
Lesser-taught Languages and Cultures (University Teaching Funding) (PE1395)
The third current petition is PE1395, by Jan Culík, on targeting funding for lesser-taught languages and cultures at universities. Members have a note from the clerk and paper 6 refers. There are also submissions. I welcome Jan Culík and Hugh McMahon to the gallery. They have worked very hard on this petition for a number of months. I invite contributions from members.
I would like to continue the petition. I refer members to the letter that we got from Gillian Morrison of the Government, which basically says that the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council will provide additional information. That information is not enough for me and I do not think that it clarifies the situation. The letter from the SFC talks about how the language-based area studies programme and the Arts and Humanities Research Council put money in, and about how the SFC itself contributed money to the project. It seems to me that the SFC is saying that, because it contributed money away back in 2006 and in 2010-11, it is not prepared to contribute any more. No assessment has been done, although the SFC said that one would be done. I would like to write to the funding council to ask again what case assessment was carried out and what the conclusions were. I would also like to see a copy of the findings of any investigation.
I declare my interest in that I am a member of the cross-party group on Poland, which has obviously tried to explore the issue. We should explore the issue in greater detail because it is cause for concern—most certainly in the cross-party group. I think, our having received the letter from Gillian Morrison, that it would be interesting to see what evidence there is.
This is obviously a very important petition and it is good that we have spent a lot of time on the issue because it is important to the future of higher education. Are we agreeing to continue the petition, and to seek further information from the Scottish funding council on the basis of the points that have been made by Anne McTaggart and Sandra White?
I thank the petitioners again for going to the trouble of turning up and for their contributions to date. I appreciate that.
Wild Animals in Circuses (Ban) (PE1400)
The final petition for today is PE1400, by Libby Anderson, on behalf of OneKind, on a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses. Members have a note from the clerks and paper 7 and the submissions refer. I invite contributions from members.
The Scottish Government’s letter says that it is waiting for clarification of the impact of legal issues and that it had hoped to have reported by now, but hopes to be able to do so by the summer recess. In that case, it would be sensible to postpone any further consideration until just before the summer recess when, we hope, we will have the information.
Do members agree to continue the petition?
I am sure that the clerks will timetable the petition’s return to the committee for just before the recess so that we can re-examine it.
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