Social Justice Committee, 10 Jan 2001

Meeting date: Wednesday, January 10, 2001

Official Report 189KB pdf

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Petitions

The next item is petitions. Petition PE311 from the Y Network Glasgow calls for several things to be done for young people, including action on social inclusion issues, which are obviously within the remit of the Social Justice Committee. The Public Petitions Committee referred the petition to us and we must consider what action we will take. I have a particular interest in the petition as the Y Network operates in my area and I am familiar with its work in my constituency. Indeed, one of the witnesses to the Public Petitions Committee was a member of the social inclusion partnership board in Pollok, so the petitioners are young people who have an important role in social inclusion issues. The question is what we should do. I think that we should ensure that input such as this has a key place in our seminar when it takes place and that the issues that are being raised about young people and social inclusion form part of our future agenda.

I think that the clerk's recommendation is the answer. Younger sections of the community must be involved. Adopting the recommendation will ensure that there is continuing dialogue with, and input from, younger people.

I attended the meeting at which the petition was considered while I was a member of the Public Petitions Committee and was happy with what was agreed. I highlight the fact that the young people said that they were not given data on how social inclusion partnerships were operating—what was said can be found in the Official Report extract. They would like to have the information in plain English that they—and we—can understand. They do not seem to be receiving feedback.

There is also a broad issue about how social inclusion partnerships relate to local communities. I know that SIPs strive to relate to communities, but that would be a useful area for us to explore.

Petition PE127 has been referred to the committee for information only. Therefore, I ask members to note it. I also ask members to note and agree to the second point in the clerk's recommendation, which is that where items are referred for information—I would argue that this point refers to more than just petitions—they should be circulated but should not form part of our agenda. Our agenda is heavy enough. If members are moved by what they read in the information that is circulated to seek to put matters on the agenda, that can be done, but the recommendation tries to cut out unnecessary additions to our work load. Is that agreed?

The recommendation is eminently sensible. The criterion for putting an item on the agenda should be that a member—even if it is only one—feels that it should be on the agenda.

I do not think that there is a restriction on how agenda items are decided. I suppose the discussion is about when we decide them and how such decisions are managed. It is reasonable that an item that is circulated for information should be put on the agenda in the usual way if members feel sufficiently strongly that the committee should discuss it. Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

Meeting continued in private until 12:14.