Health and Community Care Committee, 08 Mar 2000

Meeting date: Wednesday, March 8, 2000

Official Report 254KB pdf

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Petitions

We will now consider petition PE77, from Age Concern Scotland, which calls for the Parliament to implement all the recommendations contained in the report of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care for the Elderly, otherwise known as the Sutherland report.

I will invite comments from members, but I feel that, as we have decided to spend considerable time in the coming year on examining community care and focusing on mental health, as well as long-term care of the elderly, we have demonstrated graphically that we share Age Concern Scotland's concerns.

Through our inquiry, we are trying to improve community care. That will involve talking again to Sir Stewart Sutherland—we have already had an informal briefing from him. He was unable to join us this morning, but will be one of the first people from whom we hear during our inquiry. The royal commission report will form the focus of much of the inquiry.

We should say that we plan to examine the matter as part of our community care inquiry and that we will take oral evidence from Age Concern Scotland as part of that inquiry.

That makes sense, convener. There is no point in jumping the gun; a full, in-depth inquiry is planned.

Does everyone agree?

Members indicated agreement.

Agenda item 4 concerns a pair of petitions, PE51 from Friends of the Earth and PE60 from the Scottish Green party; the Transport and the Environment Committee is the lead committee on both petitions. The petitions concern the release of genetically modified crops into the environment. There have been calls for a debate on the matter.

Members may wish to note that the commercial release of genetically modified food is covered by European directives. However, the matter is largely devolved, and the Scottish Executive is the competent authority.

I would be happy to encourage the calls for a debate on the matter, and the committee may want to recommend to the Transport and the Environment Committee that the matter be debated in Parliament. Does any member want the committee to do any more than that at this stage?

Robin Harper has lodged a motion calling for a debate on organic and GM foods. I am supporting his motion, and I hope that we have a debate on it, as it is important. We should be aware, however, that the Westminster Government has instigated an inquiry into the matter. It would seem sensible to wait for the full outcome of the research, which is being carried out over a period of three years, rather than jumping the gun and going one way or the other.

Is it the committee's general view that we reply to the Transport and the Environment Committee, recommending that time be found for a debate on the issue in the chamber?

Members indicated agreement.

We would welcome such a debate.

Can I just check: does everyone agree?

Yes.