Seòmar agus comataidhean

We should keep the petition open, and I suggest that we hold an evidence-taking session with the petitioner and Sight Scotland at a future meeting.

Thank you for attending the committee meeting today, Angela. It must be extremely difficult for you. What is your opinion on the Scottish Government’s view and its argument that expanding the remit of the inquiry would only delay it and extend the time that it will take to fulfil its commitments to other sexual abuse survivors?

On that point, you have lodged a petition for a public inquiry but would it be acceptable to you if a separate inquiry was launched?

As Ruth Maguire says, minority groups and cultures, and their languages, should be protected in Scotland. It is not only Gaelic that is spoken across Scotland; there is also Doric and other languages. Gaelic should be encouraged and given the resources to thrive. I represent a central belt constituency and I know that many of my constituents go to Gaelic classes. I fully support the suggestion that we close the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders.

I agree with Ruth Maguire and would like to hear from the chair of the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce and the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans.

In the evidence session two weeks ago, witnesses said that there is a lack of data on where ancient woodlands are. The Scottish Government is committed to a national register of ancient woodlands. Can you update us on where that is? If local authorities and planners do not know where an ancient woodland is, how can they protect it? Will the register be created quickly so that local authorities and planners know where the woodlands are and can protect them?

Are local authorities up to date in relation to that planning legislation? If they have not done what you have just described, planners will just decide yes or no. How does the Government check that they have managed to create those strategies?

I think that we should keep the petition open and write to the Scottish Government to ask when it intends to implement its commitment to expand its early learning offer to all one and two-year-olds. We should also ask for the Government’s views on the submissions received on the petition, particularly those expressing concern about the impact that the pandemic has had on the development of babies born during lockdown, and for its plans to address those concerns.

In an evidence session two weeks ago, I asked a question about how NPF4 would help to protect ancient woodlands. One of the witnesses said:

“National planning framework 4 is a tremendous opportunity that we must not lose ... We cannot afford to take risks or to have weak legislation that creates loopholes.”—[Official Report, Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee, 9 March 2022; c 12.]

In the evidence session, the witnesses said that they did not think that the language in NPF4 was strong enough to allow planners to make recommendations that the law would back them on. Is that the case? If so, will you change it?

I have no further questions.