Current Petitions
The first petition in this section is PE136 regarding Training Adults in the Community. We have received a letter from West Lothian Council in response to our request for further information on the support that has been provided for users of the service. You are invited to note the letter. We have agreed that we are unable to take further action.
I am disappointed by the penultimate sentence in the council's response. It says:
"The services provided by TAIC did not demonstrate Best Value."
If that chap from whom we heard in Galashiels was typical of the way in which TAIC worked, I do not know how the council works out best value. I want to put it on the record that I think that he was articulate and enthusiastic and he convinced me of the value of what the organisation was doing. Maybe we cannot do any more, but I am not content.
We will note Christine Grahame's comments.
The next petition is PE111, from Mr Frank Harvey, about police vehicles attending 999 calls. Members will recall that we wrote about newspaper reports of a fatal accident in Aberdeen. We have received a thorough response from Grampian police, which I think we should send back to the petitioner. There is no need for us to take further action.
Petition PE116, from Mr James Strang, is on the compatibility of Scots law with article 6.1 of the European convention on human rights. Members have a copy of the response from the Minister for Justice on the issues that are raised in the petition. The petitioner had questioned the independence and impartiality of the Parole Board for Scotland in dealing with decisions about the release of certain classes of prisoners. The minister says that, following an appeals court judgment on the matter, the Executive is carefully considering various matters in relation to the membership of bodies operating in devolved areas, including the Parole Board. However, the Executive has not so far identified a weakness in the arrangements governing the appointment of members to the board. We should pass the minister's letter to the petitioner.
We have had a response from the Minister for Transport and the Environment on the issues that are raised in petition PE146, from Mr A McInnes, on roadworks in Golspie. The minister's letter talks about the remedial work that is still to be carried out by the Executive and the Highland Council. We will copy the minister's response to the petitioner.
Petition PE167, from Kings Park and Croftfoot community council, is on telecommunications masts. You will recall the photographs that were circulated. The local authority believes that it acted correctly. Members will see that the local authority goes into quite a bit of detail. It is worthy of note that it was two years before any action was taken. We should pass a copy of the letter to the community council.
On a point of clarification, is the Parliament considering legislation on telecommunications masts?
Yes. There is a report on the subject, but I do not think that the Parliament will deal with retrospective planning permission.
I understand that. Perhaps, in replying to the petitioners, we should tell them that.
Yes. We can provide a copy of the report.
Petition PE193, from Mr Charles Thom, is on property boundaries. We have a response from the Scottish Law Commission, which goes into great depth. The commission feels that the recommendations were sound. It says that it has consulted and does not see what more it could have done.
I agree totally with the recommendations of the Law Commission.
We will close that petition there.
Finally, we will deal with petition PE196, from Dundee and Tayside Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on planning issues. We have the response from the Scottish Executive to the issues that were raised by the petition. The letter says that the current arrangements are sufficient to ensure notification to Scottish ministers of the type of development that is likely to have a significant impact on business or residents in a neighbouring area. Are there any views on that?
I would like this matter to be passed back to the Local Government Committee. An issue seems to be festering here.
It would be the Transport and the Environment Committee.
Whoever it is that does planning—sorry. There appears to be an issue that requires to be dug into and redressed, notwithstanding the response that has been received.
The response seems to be pretty satisfactory. The Executive appears to accept that it could do better. It is trying to do better. I would welcome a response from—whoever this response has come from.
A research report was recently produced into the scope for simplifying the order. There is a working group considering the matter. Because we have dealt so much with third parties, planning issues and what not, there is something that we could pass on.
The feeling of the committee is that we should note the Scottish Executive's response, but that we do not feel that the matter is thoroughly closed. Do we want comment from the Transport and the Environment Committee as the most relevant committee?
We should also tell Mr McKinnon.
We will let the petitioner know that we have not yet closed the matter.
See what we can do when we have to?
The last piece of business is the dates of the Public Petitions Committee's meetings after the summer recess.
I thought that you were going to announce the date of the public petitions party, convener. Tonight—and the drinks are on you.
Well, we have worked so hard. That is why John McAllion is not here—because the convener traditionally pays for the drinks. Okay. That is fair.
Can we agree the dates for the meetings after the recess? They are shown on the paper that members have in front of them. The first is scheduled for 12 September.
None of the meetings conflicts with meetings of the Justice and Home Affairs Committee. That will have been sorted out.
Thank you, colleagues. We managed to get through that on time. Those members who are also going to the Justice and Home Affairs Committee meeting today will be able to get to up to the chamber for 2 o'clock. Thanks to the official report for keeping up.
Meeting closed at 13.10.