The committee agreed to link the petitions at its meeting on 23 June 2004 and for that reason it will be useful if we consider them together.PE725, by Richard Lock, on behalf of Midlothian Rural Schools Action Group, calls on the Parliament to urge the Executive to restore the presumption against the closure of rural schools and to ensure that any departure from that presumption in individual cases is based on a clear and independent demonstration of the balance of educational advantage to the children of the schools affected.PE753, by Christine Grahame MSP...