Chamber and committees

Thank you. That was interesting.

I am happy to support all those suggestions. The issues that have been raised are important. I would like to write to the health boards and to Sir Lewis Ritchie, on the basis that it might be useful for the committee to take evidence on the back of the submissions that we receive in order to pursue the issues in more detail in an oral evidence session. In the first instance, I want to hear how they would respond to some of the arguments made in the petition, but, after that, we could drill down a bit further. We will keep the petition open and we will proceed on that basis. I hope that that meets with everybody’s approval. Thank you. That concludes agenda item 1. Members will be glad that there are only two items today.

My sympathies are very much in support of that proposal. People and organisations have regularly come to us in the Parliament and have done their best to educate and train MSPs in the use of sign language. I remember thinking previously that it would be useful to have a professional or educational qualification that could be pursued in that regard.

In the first instance, let us see whether the SQA can explain to us whether such a qualification could be introduced, what would be required in introducing it and what the SQA sees as the obstacles to the proposal being progressed. Once we have the response, we will consider the petition afresh.

Yes.

Thank you.

I know that many of the women involved might be watching this morning, so I would like to say a huge thank you to them for everything that they have done over seven years—a third of the lifetime of the Parliament—in pursuing this extraordinary health injustice. I also thank our former colleagues Alex Neil and Neil Findlay, and Johann Lamont, who did terrific work as the convener of the Public Petitions Committee in the previous session.

The petition has been one of the most significant ones that the Parliament has progressed. It has had implications and ramifications that have been watched and felt in countries across the world. All of that was down to the original petition, which was led by two women, Elaine Holmes, who is a constituent of mine, and Olive McIlroy, but many other women have been involved. There are one or two questions that we might still ask but, in closing the petition, I would like to take the unprecedented step of inviting all colleagues on the committee to give those women a round of applause, because what they have done has been remarkable. [Applause.]

Thank you. I think that we have formally closed the petition.

Sorry, what was the point about Dundee? I missed that.

PE1812 was lodged by Audrey Baird and Fiona Baker on behalf of Help Trees Help Us. It calls on the Scottish Government to deliver world-leading legislation to give Scotland’s remaining fragments of ancient, native and semi-native woodlands and woodland floors full legal protection before the 26th United Nations climate change conference of the parties—COP 26—in Glasgow in November 2021.

In its submission, the Scottish Government highlights that it has committed to maintaining or exceeding EU environmental standards, where appropriate and practicable to do so, through its environment strategy vision and outcomes, and in legislation through the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill. It states that it will bring forward a draft policy statement, regarding the use of the discretionary power to align with EU law, for consultation early in this parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government also intends to produce a new Scottish biodiversity strategy no later than 12 months after the 15th Convention on Biological Diversity conference of parties—COP15—and to increase the area that is protected for nature in Scotland to at least 30 per cent of land area by 2030.

In response, the petitioners describe the Scottish Government’s submission as a

“catalogue of failure barely disguised by ‘statements of intention’ on meaningful action to protect native woodland and stem biodiversity loss in the future”

and argue that most of their petition’s objectives have been ignored by the Scottish Government.

With that endorsement ringing in our ears, I ask whether anyone has any comments to make at this time. I think that there is some work still to do.

Right. I was not sure whether that was a completely fresh development, but we are aware of that.

The clerks can update me on that.

Thank you. The previous Minister for Community Safety, who Christine Grahame noted was Ash Denham, said that regulation would require full consultation and primary legislation. I take Christine Grahame’s point in that regard. I do not know whether what the minister said was meant to be a disincentive to us to pursue the issue or whether it was identifying the course of action. I agree, and I think that the committee agrees, that if primary legislation is required because the case is compelling and correct, then that is what would have to follow. Therefore, in the first instance, it would be interesting to know whether the current Minister for Community Safety is prepared to commit to the Scottish Government undertaking the consultation that would be a precursor to any legislation on the regulation of non-statutory child services. Are we content to pursue that? That would be the first step in the pattern that was identified. We would keep the petition open on that basis and see what response we receive.

Members indicated agreement.