Committee
Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee 19 April 2023
19 Apr 2023 · S6 · Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee
Item of business
New Petitions
Monarchy (Legal Loopholes) (PE1998)
Convener, you have already explained our position on this, and I think that the petitioner, too, must understand that, in reality, very little can be achieved under the circumstances. I therefore think that we have no other course but to close the petition. For a start, the Scottish Parliament cannot pass legislation to remove the legal requirement to seek consent. Moreover, as the correspondence from the Scottish Government points out, there is an issue of confidentiality with regard to the royal household, and “to maintain the ability to have free and frank discussions” that confidentiality needs to be “recognised and respected”. According to the Scottish Government, too, “the detail of ... cases where laws have been adapted at the request of the Monarchy” cannot be provided, because the “Scottish Government does not record” that sort of thing. We acknowledge the petition, but unfortunately, for the reasons that I have set out, I do not think that we can do anything but close it.
In the same item of business
The Convener
Con
The first new petition is PE1998, on ending legal loopholes for the monarchy. The petition has been lodged by Tristan Gray on behalf of Our Republic and call...
Alexander Stewart
Con
Convener, you have already explained our position on this, and I think that the petitioner, too, must understand that, in reality, very little can be achieve...
The Convener
Con
Are colleagues content to close the petition, given the Scottish Government’s advice and the limitations on the powers of the Parliament? Members indicated ...
The Convener
Con
I thank the petitioner for lodging the petition. However, as the petitioner will understand, it appears that there is no route open to the committee to take ...