Public Petitions Committee, 04 Sep 2007

Meeting date: Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Official Report 288KB pdf

---

Proposed Petition

We move to agenda item 2. Committee members have a note about a proposed petition by Dr Calum MacKellar. Rule 6.10 of standing orders provides that the committee is to

"decide in a case of dispute whether a petition is admissible".

The proposed petition calls on the Parliament to prohibit the creation of animal embryos that have been altered by the introduction of one or more human cells. Legislation would be required expressly to prohibit the creation of animal embryos as the petitioner requests, and legislation on human genetics is reserved to the United Kingdom Parliament. As the proposed petition seeks legislation on a reserved matter, the clerks have advised the petitioner that the petition would be likely to be considered inadmissible under rule 15.5.1(c) of standing orders. Members will want to consider whether the proposed petition is admissible and any comments from members would be helpful.

I think that the proposed petition is inadmissible. Nothing in standing orders prevents the Scottish Parliament from discussing issues that are reserved to Westminster, but I understand that the petition would call on us to prohibit the creation of animal-human embryonic hybrids and chimeras, which suggests that it would call for legislation that lies outwith the Scottish Parliament's remit. As much as I sympathise with the petition, I believe that it is inadmissible.

Do we agree that the proposed petition is inadmissible under standing orders?

Members indicated agreement.

I thank members for their help.