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PE1902, which was lodged by Maria Aitken on behalf of Caithness Health Action Team, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to allow an appeal process for community participation requests under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. We are again joined by Rhoda Grant, who I will come to in a moment.

We previously considered the petition on 17 November 2021, when we agreed to write to the Scottish Community Development Centre to ask about the work that it is carrying out in exploring options for an appeals process. We have had a response that indicates that a working group has been set up, comprising people and organisations with a particular interest in participation requests. I understand that the group was due to meet some time between when we previously considered the petition and this month.

Our signal with Rhoda Grant has been lost, so we cannot hear from her. We will probably want to chase up any recommendations. Would any colleagues like to come in?

I am quite happy to incorporate that point into the request for information that we are seeking from the organisations that David Torrance has mentioned. Do we agree to keep the petition open and take forward the gathering of information that was suggested a moment ago?

Members indicated agreement.

Are we content to proceed on the basis of those recommendations?

Members indicated agreement.

On that note, we move into private session.

I was just going to say that that answer allows me to bring in Fergus Ewing with his questions on next steps, but go ahead.

Your life is being rebuilt with the support of your partner, Ian, who we are very grateful to have with us this morning as well. His support has obviously been hugely important to you.

In concluding, I would like to give you an opportunity to make any additional remarks to us as a committee that will help us going forward. If you have anything that you would like to read to us by way of a statement, that will be equally valuable.

If colleagues are content to pursue that route, I thank Mr Watson and the friends of Dennistoun war memorial. In closing the petition, perhaps we could draw their attention to the legislation that the Government thinks is appropriate, so that they know that they have recourse to it.

Members are content with that, so we will have a short suspension to allow everyone to regroup.

Was that, as far as they were concerned, as much as they were prepared to consider or pursue in relation to the matter?

As we know, the child sex abuse inquiry in England and Wales is going to look at the issue more broadly than the one in Scotland did, which focused just on care homes; they are going to look at religious organisations as well. You made reference to there being 30 documentaries in 15 countries. Have you been able to meet or speak with others who might potentially find that their own circumstances are going to be addressed in the public inquiry in England and Wales, or is that a difficult kind of exchange to have?