Item 4 is consideration of four petitions. Members have been circulated with a paper on this item that sets out at paragraphs 11, 14 and 19 recommendations on each petition that the committee might wish to consider before deciding what, if any, action should be taken. Paragraph 2 of the paper outlines the four petitions.
Hospital Parking (Charges) (PE967)
We are still waiting for a response to PE967 from the Minister for Health and Community Care. I think that the best thing is to defer consideration of the petition until we receive that response. Are members agreed?
Residential Care (Charges) (PE897)
PE897 relates to the financial implications of residential care. It is recommended that committee members highlight the detail of the petition in tomorrow afternoon's parliamentary debate on our care inquiry report, with a view to encouraging the Executive to encompass the matter in its own review. Do members think that the recommendation is reasonable?
Food Chain (Supermarkets) (PE807)
PE807 has been under consideration since February 2005. I should point out that the Environment and Rural Development Committee has recently produced an extensive report on its inquiry into the food supply chain. The question is whether we wish to take any further action on the petition or whether we feel that the Environment and Rural Development Committee has dealt adequately with the matter. My view is that at this stage of the game there is nothing that we could do that would add to that committee's work. Are members agreed?
European Charter of Rights for People with Autism (PE952)
PE952 was first considered in May 2006 by the Public Petitions Committee, which referred the matter to us. The paper outlines the main points of the European charter of rights for people with autism. We have already received evidence from the National Autistic Society Scotland and the Scottish Society for Autism in relation to the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Bill and, indeed, someone from the National Autistic Society Scotland took part in this afternoon's round-table discussion. It is recommended that we consider the National Autistic Society Scotland's views and take them into account in our stage 1 report on the bill. Are members content with that approach?
That ends the public part of this meeting. I ask all those who are not members of the Health Committee to leave.
Meeting continued in private until 16:13.