What are we doing?

Parliament of course in recess but work goes on. Proposed petitions continue to come in for us to look and and consider. We liaise with the petitioners over the wording and information they have set out in their draft petition to ensure that it is in the best shape possible before it goes before the PPC. Is the purpose of the petition clear enough? is more information needed? Obviously we want to ensure a full and informed consideration of the petition so it is important that all the information is there.
Of course with no committee meetings it means that we can get a wee bit of a backlog of new petitions but we forward plan to ensure that we then get these before the committee ASAP after the recess ends. First meeting is 7 September and the agenda for that is agreed (and its a big one!). Papers will go out as usual the week before (Wednesday 1st) so watch this space to see what is coming forward for that meeting.
Of course you can see some of the new petitions on the e-petition site

Meeting in Arran

The PPC will be meeting at Arran High School on Monday 13 September and will start at 9.30 am. It will consider new and current petitions and it is hoped that some of these petitions will originate from the Arran / North Ayrshire area.

What characterizes the PPC is that it is a public facing committee and that it is committed to furthering the opportunities for engagement with the public. Once the formal business is finished, part of the proceedings will be turned over to a Q&A session (around 11.30 am).

Anyone in the audience will have the opportunity to discuss the work of the Parliament with the nine MSPs on the PPC, but also learn more about public petitioning, how to engage with the Parliament, what is the relevance of the Parliament to community groups, voluntary bodies, associations, etc.

The success of the meeting does, to an extent, depend on getting people to come along and participate. That is why the Committee hopes you will be able to attend on the 13th September. More details on the actual petitions the Committee will discuss on the day will emerge nearer the time (the Committee's meeting agenda is published on http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/petitions/meetings.htm).

PPC mtg Tuesday 15 June

Agenda and papers for next Tuesday's meeting now published on PPC webpage. You will see that committee is back to more 'traditional' format with new and current petitions, including one oral presentation. In CR1 if you want to watch via Holyrood TV.
This is the second last committee meeting before the summer recess (final meeting on 29 June).
Fergus, Clerk to PPC

John Smith Fellows

The Convener will meet with the John Smith Fellows this morning to discuss the public petitions process. This is an annual event for the PPC, meeting the new intake of delegates. Around 20 or so this year from Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan. The delegates attended a reception in the Parliament on Tuesday evening hosted by the Presiding Officer.
Fergus Clerk to the PPC

Committee's annual report

Committee annual report published this morning. A best seller by the weekend I reckon. The report sets out the work of the committee over the parliamentary year (May-May) and there has been a lot. Interesting thing about doing these reports is the things you forgot the committee did. Lots of activity by it in terms of petitions considered, positive outcomes achieved, engagement work with external meetings and with delegations. All this crammed into 13 pages!
Hope you enjoy.
Fergus, Clerk to the PPC

Three in a row?

Another short agenda for this afternoon's PPC meeting so I reckon a short meeting (1 hour?). No new petitions, no oral presentations, 'just' 14 current petitions. However, there is also the committee's annual report to discuss. Committee has tried to make the report more visually appealing with more narrative about its activities over the last parliamentary year and some photographs. I reckon it looks good but then I'm biased.
Usual format this afternoon, 2.00 pm start and live on Holyrood TV (CR1) as per.
Fergus, Clerk to the PPC

How is this happening!?

Another 'short' meeting today. That's two on the trot when the committee has got through all the petitions in under 2 hours. Although we continue to receive a good number of petitions, some of these are on the e-petition site at present and others we are still in discussion with the petitioner so they are not ready to go before the committee at a meeting.
I don't think there will be any new petitions at the next meeting on 1 June but I suspect 'normal service' will resume at the 15 and 29 June meetings, the last two before the summer recess, when the committee will look to get a good number of new petitions before it.
Fergus, Clerk to the PPC