Chamber and committees

We thank Amber Roberts and regret that there seems to be nothing more of a practical nature that we can do.

That seems a sensible proposition. Are we content with that?

Members indicated agreement.

PE1961, which seeks to make it a specific offence to assault, threaten or abuse a private hire or taxi driver while at work, has been lodged by Edward Grice on behalf of the Scottish Private Hire Association. The petition calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to expand the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 to include private hire and taxi drivers by creating a specific criminal offence of assaulting, threatening or abusing private hire or taxi drivers while they are engaged in private hire or taxi work and by considering such offences as aggravated when the offence is committed while the driver is enforcing a licensing or operational condition. The SPHA highlights the 2021 act and the creation of a new offence for situations whereby a retail worker is assaulted, threatened or abused while engaged in their work. The SPHA believes that a similar offence is required to protect private hire and taxi drivers while they are at work.

In its response to the petition, the Scottish Government notes that there are a range of common-law and statutory offences to protect everyone, including private hire and taxi drivers, from abuse and violence. Those include the statutory offence of threatening or abusive behaviour, as well as common-law offences of assault and breach of the peace. Do colleagues have any comments or suggestions?

I was struck by the Scottish Government pointing the finger at Daniel Johnson in relation to the development of the 2021 act. I am not quite sure what they thought Mr Johnson’s remedy might be.

Do colleagues have any suggestions as to how we might proceed?

I am happy to write to the organisations that you have suggested, but we would do that instead of taking evidence from the petitioner, at this stage. As you suggested, we would write to the SPSO and the Scottish Government.

Are there any other suggestions, or are members content for us to proceed in that way?

PE1963, which was lodged by Roger Green, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to phase in a ban on meat production in Scotland between 2030 and 2040, to coincide with anticipated changes to future food production and consumption.

Roger Green highlights an initiative being implemented by the United Nations and the World Health Organization to reach a global plant-based diet. He states that Scotland should achieve healthy dietary goals by 2030 to 2040 and, among other dietary priorities, that should include phasing out meat consumption.

The SPICe briefing provides detailed information on various aspects of meat production, including the economic impacts, the proportion of meat eaters in the UK and the environmental impacts. The briefing states that 70 per cent of people in the UK are meat eaters and the total agricultural workforce in Scotland is around 67,400 people. It also points to the UK Climate Change Committee’s recommendation to introduce policies to encourage consumers to shift their diets and reduce beef, lamb and dairy production by 20 per cent.

The Scottish Government’s response states that its vision is for Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative farming and highlights funds to encourage adaptation to climate change in the sector. It confirms that the Scottish Government will continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland, Food Standards Scotland and other agencies on diet, health and climate impacts to inform future policy.

Do members have any comments or suggestions?

Given what we heard from David Strang and Dr Carole Hunter at last week’s meeting, what is the Scottish Government’s reaction to the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce’s “Changing Lives” report, which included a comprehensive suite of recommendations? Will the Scottish Government publish a plan for those recommendations? At the end of January it will be six months since the publication of the report. I recognise that there is an implementation group, but what is your reaction to the report and can you summarise how you expect to move forward?

We have strayed a little bit outwith the terms of the petition that the minister is here to discuss.

A final thought has occurred to me in relation to the availability of healthcare staff. In the wider political context, we are discussing the pressures on staffing resources. Are you aware of any data or issues with the availability of staff who can ensure that prescribed medicines are safely delivered to those who are in custody when it is appropriate?

Members, before I suspend the meeting briefly, are you content that we consider the issues raised by the evidence we have heard this morning at a later date?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you very much. Paul Sweeney will lead the questioning on the petition.