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How could Brexit and the internal UK market, which the minister mentioned in her statement, affect Scotland and the Scottish Government as they try to implement health measures against alcohol?

In evidence to the committee, Quality Meat Scotland said that it is vital that the common framework should “respect devolution settlements” by allowing for “policy divergences”. Does the Scottish Government intend to request exclusions from the act in policy areas that are covered by the common framework?

Good morning. The first objective of the group was to come up with definitions. How did you go about doing that?

I agree with that suggestion. Two sessions ago, our predecessor committee went to the Rest and Be Thankful to see the progress that had been made. Like the convener, I would not like us to close the petition, so I go along with his recommendations.

Will you go into more detail on why the definitions are not definitive?

We should chase up the Scottish Community Development Centre, to seek an update on the working group’s consideration of potential models for an appeals process. Specifically, we should ask when it plans to report to the Scottish Government, whether the report will include recommendations on the introduction of an appeal process and what further engagement it anticipates having with communities on the issue.

I recommend that we keep the petition open and write to the National Services Division’s national specialist services committee to highlight the evidence that we have received on essential tremor treatment and recommend that any application to roll out MRgFUS across Scotland is given early consideration when the application process opens in April 2022. In writing to the National Services Division, the committee could ask for further details of the decision-making process and timescales for next steps, should an application be successful.

We could write to the Scottish Government to highlight our engagement with the national specialist services committee and ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to a public awareness campaign, should any application prove successful. In writing to the Scottish Government, the committee might also wish to ask for further information about the national patient, public and professional reference group, including its role, remit and membership.

I would like us to write to several stakeholders, because the petition raises a really important issue that needs to be looked into. Those stakeholders should include the Child Poverty Action Group, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Community Food and Health Scotland, which does work on inequalities and barriers to healthy and affordable food, and the Trussell Trust.

I would also like us to write to the Scottish Government. Everything has a cost, so I would like to find out what investment would be needed to make possible the universal provision of free school meals in all nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools.

What evidence is there to show how you came to your list of benefits?

If the group considered the benefits of participatory democracy, it must have considered the risks. What are they?