Chamber and committees

The petition has been on-going for quite a while—since last session—and we have not been updated by the petitioner for a long time. I am sure that, like me, committee members have a number of questions that they would like to ask the petitioner and HIAL management. I would like to bring in the petitioner and HIAL management to give evidence so that we can ask those questions.

Good morning. In relation to local living, do you expect 20-minute neighbourhoods to have a significant positive impact on health and wellbeing? If so, in what ways?

We have heard about partnership working in evidence from the panel members who have highlighted several examples. In the area of deprivation and the barriers that it creates for children and young people’s health and wellbeing, what role should public services play in bringing together key partners and creating strong networks in deprived communities? How can that be achieved? I ask Kevin Kane first because of his positive comments about Kirkcaldy high school and Scouts Scotland.

I have a small supplementary. How will the benefits of 20-minute neighbourhoods be realised in remote and rural areas? How can we ensure that those benefits are achieved? I put that question to Matt Lowther.

We dealt with these issues when we considered PE1786 last year. As I see no difference between that petition and this one, I recommend that we close the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders. Moreover, the issues that it raises fall within the scope of the work of the Scottish mental health law review, from which we have had a really in-depth submission. As I cannot see the committee taking the matter anywhere else, I am happy to close the petition.

Like Alexander Stewart, I doubt that we could take forward an inquiry, because I do not think that the Government would agree to one. If we include the previous Public Petitions Committee, we have taken evidence on the issue over more than six years. The convener and I have been on site visits and seen how difficult the environment and terrain are. There is no easy fix and Transport Scotland has worked tirelessly and engaged with the local community to try to find solutions, but it is a difficult task to make the road stable and ensure that landslides do not continue in the area. Measures have been put in place to catch a lot of the debris that comes down. The old military road is an alternative.

Transport Scotland is trying to find solutions and work with the community. There is no place for the petition to go, so I am happy to close it under rule 15.7 of standing orders.

I would like us to keep the petition open, based on the evidence from the University of Dundee and the success of the treatment there. I would like us to write to the Scottish Government to highlight that success of the MRgFUS treatment in essential tremor patients and to ask for clarification as to when the pause on NSSC applications is likely to be removed. I would also like us to ask the Scottish Government whether it intends to provide funding for the MRgFUS treatment to be made available to more essential tremor patients in Scotland, and how it will raise awareness of the treatment among the profession.

I thank the petitioner for lodging the petition, because it is a really important issue. From the number of tragedies since last summer in Scotland, we see the number of people who could not learn to swim. Learning to swim could be a life-saver and that is why it is so important. I know that there can be difficulties around the lack of swimming facilities in some geographical locations, but I would like to explore that more. The evidence from COSLA, Scottish Swimming and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents shows that it is really important that we encourage every primary school child to learn to swim. As I said before, it would save lives, so I would like to ask for an update from the Scottish Government on the proposals to work with Scottish Swimming and sportscotland on a programme of school swimming, including who might benefit from that.

In response to comments from Mr Choudhury about data, I would also like to explore with the Scottish Government how we can collect data on the number of primary school children in Scotland who are able to swim by the end of primary school. I would also like that work to take into account factors such as a child’s geographical location and socioeconomic and ethnic background, because those are also important and will highlight where we are missing children out.

I know that Natalie Don will propose a member’s bill and we do not know what that will look like, but I would still like to invite the petitioner to give evidence to the committee so that we can base any future decisions about the decision on it. I feel that—[Inaudible.]

I would like to keep the petition open. I know that the Scottish Government submission says that it would not ban outright the wearing of school uniforms across Scotland, but there would be merit in finding out when the Scottish Government will publish its school uniform consultation, so I would like to write to the Government to ask that. I would also like to write to other relevant stakeholders such as the Scottish Youth Parliament, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner and the National Parent Forum of Scotland to find out their views on the petition.