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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 16 March 2025
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Displaying 3105 contributions

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Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Institutionalising Participatory and Deliberative Democracy

Meeting date: 20 April 2022

Jackson Carlaw

Kelly McBride wants to come back in.

10:15  

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Institutionalising Participatory and Deliberative Democracy

Meeting date: 20 April 2022

Jackson Carlaw

As we are coming towards the end of our time for this session, I ask Fergus Ewing to move on to the final questions, which are about the next steps and the Government’s reaction.

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Continued Petitions

Meeting date: 20 April 2022

Jackson Carlaw

Welcome back. Item 3 is consideration of continued petitions. PE1723, on essential tremor treatment in Scotland, was lodged by Mary Ramsay. The petition, which was last considered by the committee on 19 January, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to raise awareness of essential tremor and to support the introduction and use of a focused ultrasound scanner for treating people in Scotland who have the condition.

Rhoda Grant will be joining us again.

When we last considered the petition, we agreed to write to the Scottish Government and the National Services Division. We have had a response from the Scottish Government that indicates that the National Services Division is expected to resume applications for the commissioning of new services this month. That was roughly the timetable that was suggested when we last considered the petition.

The National Services Division continues to engage with the clinical team in Tayside to understand what would be required to provide focused ultrasound in Scotland, should it be decided that that is the preferred option.

The Scottish Government submission informs us that

“the Scottish Government has not committed funding to the MRgFUS service in 2022/2023. The evidence base ... will inform consideration on any future financial investment.”

The Scottish Government also provided information about its work to raise awareness of essential tremor among patients and healthcare professionals.

The petitioner’s most recent submission highlights that there are 100,000 people in Scotland with essential tremor, and she has suggested that that figure does not include those who are waiting to see specialists or those who have been misdiagnosed.

Rhoda Grant is with us. We are not necessarily taking a lot of additional evidence, because we are waiting to hear what progress can be made, but would you like to contribute anything that would further our understanding?

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Continued Petitions

Meeting date: 20 April 2022

Jackson Carlaw

Thank you very much for that.

I believe that we will keep the petition open. We are still awaiting some of the key information that we feel would be critical to our coming to a determination. Would colleagues like to make any further recommendations?

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Continued Petitions

Meeting date: 20 April 2022

Jackson Carlaw

I very much concur with that recommended route. When I read the Scottish Government’s response, I, too, was slightly disappointed. I had hoped that, given the circumstances and the fact that the legislation emerged out of a stage 3 amendment, discussion with the Government might have led to some sort of resolution. I felt that the Government gave a rather disdainful brush-off to the issue that we are trying to explore. Therefore, taking evidence seems to be a reasonable course of action.

Are colleagues content that we proceed on the basis that Mr Ewing has suggested? It might also be useful to write to the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, just to find out their wider concerns about the conservation impact of the proposal. Are members content with that, too?

Members indicated agreement.

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Continued Petitions

Meeting date: 20 April 2022

Jackson Carlaw

Are colleagues content to keep the petition open on the basis that has been suggested and to take those actions?

Members indicated agreement.

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Institutionalising Participatory and Deliberative Democracy

Meeting date: 20 April 2022

Jackson Carlaw

I am mindful of the time, but I will bring in our other two witnesses. Talat, would you like to comment further, or has Kelly summed things up?

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Institutionalising Participatory and Deliberative Democracy

Meeting date: 20 April 2022

Jackson Carlaw

Fiona, is there anything that you would like to add?

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Institutionalising Participatory and Deliberative Democracy

Meeting date: 20 April 2022

Jackson Carlaw

Fergus, do you have any other questions?

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Institutionalising Participatory and Deliberative Democracy

Meeting date: 20 April 2022

Jackson Carlaw

Are there any final thoughts on that?