Committee meeting 8 September outcomes

Well, that's the committee's first meeting after the summer recess over with. It was a full agenda as you could see but they got through everything. The Convener Frank McAveety said afterwards "We discussed 28 petitions this afternoon on 26 different topics. We also heard from seven non-committee members on a number of these petitions. I think this a pretty good demonstration of how the committee works and its commitment to scrutinise petitions and move them through the parliamentary process."

You can watch the archive footage of the meeting on Holyrood TV
http://www.holyrood.tv/library.asp?iPid=3&section=43&title=Public+Petitions

We turn now to getting letters out to all the organisations the committee agreed to write to and these will be e-mailed our tomorrow. All the petitioners are notified of the decisions the committee took. Then attention turns to the next meeting in Alness on 21st.
Fergus

Important news about petitions committee debate 9 September

In case you were planning to watch the debate planned for tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday 9th) in the Parliament on the Committee's petitions inquiry report, this is now expected to be rescheduled to another date. Business for tomorrow is expected to be rearranged (this will be agreed by the Parliament tomorrow).
Sorry for lateness of this but sometimes these things happen. Anyway, as soon as we know when the debate will, and it is hoped to be very soon, we will post up details.
Fergus, PPC Clerk

Back to it!

Committee has its first meeting this afternoon after the summer recess. A bumper agenda as you would expect. Hope I can remember what it is I do after 10 weeks of not clerking meetings!
You can watch the meeting live via Holyrood TV. Committee Room 1, 2.00 pm
http://www.holyrood.tv/committee.asp

I'll post a wee update after the meeting ends.
All the best,
Fergus, Clerk to the PPC

Debate in Parliament on petitions report

This Wednesday (9th), there will be a debate in the Chamber on the report of the Committee's petitions inquiry report. This will run from 2.05-3.30 pm. You can watch the debate live via Holyrood TV
http://www.holyrood.tv/index.asp

or watch the archive via this link
http://www.holyrood.tv/library.asp?iPid=3&section=31&title=General+Debates

Hope you are able to tune in,
Fergus

New e-petitions

Quite a few new e-petitions on our website. Why not go in and have a look
http://epetitions.scottish.parliament.uk/

One just posted up about the requirement for fatal accident inquiry when a person from Scotland dies abroad. You can view this at
http://epetitions.scottish.parliament.uk/view_petition.asp?PetitionID=344

Back to work

Well, recess is over and the Parliament is back to work. The next petitions committee meeting in on Tuesday 8th. You can see the agenda and papers for this on the website
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/petitions/meetings.htm

Festival of Politics event

The programme for this year's Festival of Politics was launched a few weeks ago. Why not visit the webpage.
http://www.festivalofpolitics.org.uk/
On Tuesday 18 August, there will be a discussion organised by the Cross Party Group on Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse about the issues raised through their petition in 2000 (PE279). Its members successfully lobbied government to produce the National Strategy for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse – SurvivorScotland. The discussion will centre on the journey since then, how the public can influence the political process in Scotland and improve the lives of its citizens. Taking part are the Cross Party Group’s former Vice Convener, Kenneth Gibson MSP, Vice Convener and Petitioner, Anne Macdonald and Fergus Cochrane, Clerk to the Public Petitions Committee. Chaired by Margaret Mitchell MSP, Vice Convener. Click here for details about this free event.
http://www.festivalofpolitics.org.uk/2009day1.htm