Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee, 09 Dec 2009

Meeting date: Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Official Report 293KB pdf

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Petitions

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Children's Services (Special Needs) (PE853)<br />Rural Schools (Closure) (PE872)

The third item on the agenda is consideration of three open petitions. The clerks have prepared a paper updating the committee on the petitions, and now that the agreed work on each of them has been completed we have to agree our next steps.

It is recommended that the committee close PE853 by Mr Venters and PE872 by Mr Longmuir on school closures, both of which were lodged more than four years ago. Members will be well aware that the Parliament has now passed legislation that covers the issues that the petitioners raised.

Do members have any comments?

I am quite happy to go along with the recommendation, particularly with regard to PE853, which is specifically concerned with special needs provision. At stage 2 of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Bill, I lodged amendments that sought to deal with a number of special needs issues and what happened in certain previous cases, and received assurances from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning that the new system would be of assistance and would be much better. As I was happy with those assurances, I withdrew those amendments and did not lodge anything at stage 3. On that basis, I am happy to close PE853.

As there are no further comments, do members agree to close PE853 and PE872?

Members indicated agreement.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (PE1213)

As members will know, PE1213 has led to the committee holding a number of evidence-taking sessions, including a session last week with the Minister for Children and Early Years. I seek members' views on the options that the clerks have listed in their briefing paper.

Although he is absent today through illness, Ken Macintosh has raised with me a concern, which I share, that we did not get the fullest possible evidence about some of the issues surrounding autism. It is especially noticeable that, even after concluding our evidence taking, we have continued to receive written representations on these matters. For that reason, I am reluctant to close completely our consideration of the issue. I support the clerks' suggestion that we close the petition but keep under periodical review the issue of autism and support for children on the autistic spectrum. Do other members of the committee support such a move?

Members indicated agreement.

In that case, we will write to the petitioner accordingly.

That brings the public part of our meeting to a close. As this is our last meeting before the Christmas recess, I want to wish everyone a happy Christmas and a good new year when it comes. Our next meeting will be in the new year.

Meeting continued in private until 12:58.