Public Petitions Committee, 02 Oct 2001

Meeting date: Tuesday, October 2, 2001

Official Report 245KB pdf

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Convener's Report

Our trip to Berlin went ahead and was a success—I think that all members who went on the trip would agree with that. Steve Farrell has undertaken to produce a paper on our experiences from the trip. The paper, which will be submitted in the future, will recommend ways in which the committee's work could be developed.

Members of the European Parliament Petitions Committee will visit us on 6 November. Public Petitions Committee members will probably be required to be around for a lunch and a dinner. I ask members to put that in their diaries—we will provide the details later.

This morning, Steve Farrell and I gave evidence on the operation of the Public Petitions Committee to the Procedures Committee as part of its inquiry into the consultative steering group's principles. I think that the session went well. We received a positive response from members of the Procedures Committee, who are interested in the development of the Public Petitions Committee.

Did you meet no hostility? At one time, there was a proposal to get rid of the Public Petitions Committee.

That proposal came not from the Procedures Committee, but from another, powerful source in the Scottish Parliament. Most MSPs value the good work that is done by the Public Petitions Committee.

One problem that was highlighted this morning was the fact that many people in Scotland do not know about us. We must work harder to make contact with the ethnic minority population, for example, because we have not received one petition from ethnic minorities.

Could we have a nice poster? Perhaps one exists already. It could be placed on all library information boards. Local authorities are usually willing to put up posters.

What about MSPs' surgeries?

Posters could be put up where MSPs' surgeries are held.

As well as producing a paper on our visit to Berlin, we will produce a paper on developing the handling of public petitions. We argued at the Procedures Committee that that committee should conduct its own investigation into how petitions are handled, and talk not only to us, but to the subject committees, the Scottish Executive and others, because we must develop the committee's work.

Could we have a poster, designed by an artist?

Absolutely. This morning, we discussed the need for better publicity. A poster would be one way of achieving that.

Library notice-boards are read. Signs at members' surgeries are read.

I was a reluctant traveller to Berlin and had reservations about going. I wondered what the benefits would be, but the visit opened up my eyes and changed my perception. Despite the fact that I am a member of the Public Petitions Committee, I have considered it to be a bit of a postbox. Given our discussions, the Berlin system would take us further. I freely admit—this is the only time that I will do so in the Parliament—that I was absolutely wrong and that the visit was good.

If we have converted Phil Gallie, we have done some good work. I thank members for attending and close the meeting.

Meeting closed at 13:06.