Public Petitions Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Official Report 474KB pdf

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Current Petitions

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Institutional Child Abuse (Victims’ Forum and Compensation) (PE1351)

Agenda item 5 is consideration of current petitions. There are two current petitions for consideration, the first of which is PE1351, by Chris Daly and Helen Holland, on a time for all to be heard forum. Members have a note by the clerk in paper 5 and submissions. I invite contributions from members.

The petitioners have submitted a series of questions. [Interruption.] Have they not?

We have had responses to the questions.

Right. Sorry, convener. I have nothing to add.

We have the Scottish Government’s responses to the questions. Does any committee member wish to add any points at this stage? No?

The petition is thoughtful. Certainly, it would be useful to seek further information on it. We might write to the centre for excellence for looked-after children in Scotland and ask it to summarise the work that has taken place on the interaction on the issue and to confirm the timescales for future work.

Some plenary slots will be available in the chamber in the new year for the discussion of petition issues, but it is probably best to get information from the clerks about petitions that we could debate. However, that is an option for the committee on a number of the petitions that we are considering. I flag that up in public so that all members are aware of the option. It is useful that we know that other committees have interests in certain petitions. We need to make an early decision, perhaps at the next committee meeting, about ways forward.

This is a complex area, with which I have had dealings. Each element of it almost stands alone. There is the aspect of the time for all to be heard forum, whereby people are looking for the space to describe their experience. However, that can be quite separate from the issue of compensation or reparation for the difficulties that they have faced throughout their lives. The different elements are interrelated, but they can be dealt with on an individual basis. It is therefore important that we get the summation from the centre for excellence to see where we are with each of the elements. That would help the committee to focus on which areas we need to take forward.

That is a good point. If no other member wishes to contribute, is the committee happy with our suggestion on the way forward?

Members indicated agreement.

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Sports Facilities (PE1434)

The second current petition is PE1434, by Nairn McDonald, on additional funding for sports facilities and a minimum level of facilities. Members have a note by the clerk on the petition, which is paper 6, and the submission. It is strongly recommended that we consider referring the petition to the Health and Sport Committee under rule 15.6.2, because that committee is undertaking an inquiry into community sport, to which the petition would seem to be relevant. Do members agree that we should pass the petition to that committee?

Members indicated agreement.

As the committee agreed under item 2, we now move into private session.

11:44 Meeting continued in private until 12:06.