Minutes: 02 April 2025

1. Decision on taking business in private:

The Committee agreed to take Items 5 and 6 in private. 

2. Evidence Session:

The Committee took evidence from— 

• Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport 
• Nicola Blaney, Head of Strategic Transport Planning, Transport Scotland Alasdair
• Graham, Head of Design, Procurement and Contracts, Transport Scotland 
• Lawrence Shackman, Director of Major Projects, Transport Scotland

The Committee took evidence on the following petitions— 

• PE1610: Upgrade the A75 
• PE1657: A77 upgrade 
• PE1916: Request a public inquiry into the management of the rest and be thankful project 
• PE1967: Protect Loch Lomond’s Atlantic oakwood shoreline by implementing the High Road option for the A82 upgrade between Tarbet and Inverarnan 
• PE2132: Publish a timeline for the dualling of the A96 between Inverness and Nairn by Easter 2025   

3. Consideration of continued petitions:

The Committee considered the following continued petitions: 

• PE2085: Introduce a statutory definition of residency for Fatal Accident Inquiries into the deaths of Scots abroad. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs. 
• PE1885: Make offering Community Shared Ownership mandatory for all windfarm development planning proposals. The Committee agreed to write to the Acting Minister for Climate Action and Scottish and Southern Energy Networks.  
• PE1919: Ban the sale of high caffeine products to children for performance enhancement. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders. 
• PE2030: Review cultural funding arrangements to enable Scotland to contribute to the Venice Biennale in 2024. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders. 
• PE2091: Provide funding to have a CAHMS worker and a nurse based within Scottish high schools. The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport. 
  

4. Consideration of new petitions:

The Committee considered the following new petitions: 

• PE2135: Implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in Scottish legislation. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.  
• PE2140: Introduce a parking badge for pregnant women. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Retail Consortium. 
  

5. Consideration of Evidence:

The Committee considered the evidence it heard under item 2.

6. Work programme:

The Committee considered its work programme and agreed the themes and petitions to be covered in a future healthcare evidence session. The Committee also agreed their approach to questions for this session. The Committee considered a letter from the Parliamentary Bureau on the Inquiry into the A9 Dualling Programme and agreed to invite the clerks to draft a letter which the Committee agreed to finalise by correspondence. The Committee also agreed to consider petition ‘PE2136: Make non fatal strangulation a standalone criminal offence in Scotland’ at the next committee meeting.