Public Petitions Committee, 07 Nov 2000

Meeting date: Tuesday, November 7, 2000

Official Report 166KB pdf

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Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee Tuesday 7 November 2000 (Afternoon)

[The Convener opened the meeting at 14:04]

Welcome to the 16th meeting this year of the Public Petitions Committee. I have received apologies from Sandra White and Pauline McNeill, who are unable to attend today's meeting. Margaret Smith has indicated that she is likely to be late. I expect Helen Eadie to join us shortly.

Members will be aware that on 1 November Christine Grahame resigned from the committee. We take this opportunity to put on record our thanks to Christine for her excellent contribution over the past year and a half to the committee's work. She will be sadly missed.

I am pleased to say that in Christine Grahame's place we can welcome Dr Winnie Ewing as a new member of the committee. Before I give her an opportunity to speak, I ask her to declare any interests that might prejudice her ability to participate in the work of the committee in an impartial manner.

The only thing that I can think of is that I am a member of the Law Society of Scotland.

I welcome you warmly to the committee.

I was always attracted to this committee but, for obvious reasons, I was appointed to the European Committee. I have asked to serve on this committee because it gives the public an opportunity to appear before us to make their points. That is wonderful. I was a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions, which also took evidence from people. However, it was so distant and so expensive to travel to that we did not get the amazing variety of people who appear before this committee. I used to lecture in constitutional law, and we were always proud of the fact that people had the right to petition the old Scottish Parliament on their rights or grievances. In a way, we are carrying on a fine democratic tradition. I am really looking forward to serving on the committee. Although I have been reshuffled, I hope that that does not happen to the convener, as he is part of the committee's attraction for me.

Thank you very much. I think that I will like having Dr Ewing as a member of the committee.

Today we have an unusual agenda. Normally I begin these meetings by warning members that we have a large number of petitions to deal with. Unfortunately, today there is only one petition before the committee. That is unique in the committee's history. I suspect that it has something to do with the fact that in the near future we intend to meet in Glasgow. Petitions emanating from Glasgow are being held back, to give Glasgow petitioners a better opportunity to attend the meeting at which their petition is considered.