Justice 2 Committee, 27 Sep 2005
Meeting date: Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Official Report
204KB pdf
Petition
Justice System (Child Sex Offenders) (PE862)
I welcome everyone to the Justice 2 Committee's 23rd meeting of 2005. We have apologies from Jackie Baillie, for whom Cathie Craigie is substituting; from Stewart Maxwell, for whom Kenny MacAskill is substituting; and from Jeremy Purvis, in whose place I understand Margaret Smith may attend. Colin Fox is not attending meetings during September. I welcome Kenny MacAskill and Cathie Craigie to our meeting. We are glad that you could join us.
Agenda item 1 is petition PE862, at the instance of Margaret Ann Cummings, on the monitoring of child sex offenders. I thank the clerks for preparing a helpful briefing paper, which provides full background information. The Public Petitions Committee considered the petition and thought that the Justice 2 Committee should be aware of it, because we are scrutinising the Management of Offenders etc (Scotland) Bill. That is why I thought it appropriate to put the petition on the agenda. I am happy to invite comments from members.
The petition was prompted by a tragic case—the murder of the petitioner's son. The Executive is considering various ways in which all human efforts can be applied to ensure that such a case does not occur again. I think that the Public Petitions Committee forwarded the petition to this committee more as a matter of courtesy, because the bill's scope is too narrow to deal with the many important and serious issues that the petition raises.
The Public Petitions Committee has sought the ministerial team's views and a response is expected by 9 November. We should await the ministerial response. After reading that, this committee should decide whether to pursue the petition, perhaps with an inquiry—I do not know. It would be wise to await the ministerial response. The case is tragic and has serious ramifications. Because of that, it is right that we should consider what the Executive says and respond in due course.
I concur fully with Bill Butler. It would be appropriate to let Mrs Cummings know our position. What Bill Butler said was eminently sensible. If nothing was due to happen, our actions might be different, but given that it is the end of September and that the response is to be made by the middle of November, little can be done to accelerate the process. The starting point should therefore be what the Executive says, which will be viewed as adequate or inadequate.
I understand Mrs Cummings's frustration, but to do anything other than to await the outcome might be wrong. However, we should intimate to her that the matter is not being shoved under the carpet. For practical and sensible logistical reasons, we will await the response. When we receive it, we will review matters and advise her of what might be done.
I agree with what other members have said. The petition arises from a tragic background and none of us is unmoved by that. Our function as a committee is to determine in what way we can assist genuinely with the consideration of a petition and—we hope—contribute to bringing it to a meaningful outcome.
As a matter of courtesy, the Public Petitions Committee passed the petition to us because of the work in which we are involved, but the petition is still before that committee. As we are aware, the subject that the petition addresses embraces a wide range of issues, which involve not just criminal justice, but disclosure, housing, sentencing, tariffs, bail and miscellaneous related matters.
I infer from what members have said that this committee has an interest in hearing what happens to the petition and that it would be appropriate to let the minister respond to the Public Petitions Committee, but that we ask that committee to copy us the response. We can then put the matter on our agenda for the committee to determine what future action, if any, it would like to take, with a view to assisting consideration of the petition. Is that agreeable?
Members indicated agreement.
We shall therefore defer consideration until a response has been received by the Public Petitions Committee and copied to this committee.