Committee
Public Petitions Committee 24 March 2021
24 Mar 2021 · S5 · Public Petitions Committee
Item of business
Continued Petitions
Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal (PE1651)
I, too, know Marion Brown from my work as a regional MSP—I have had several meetings with her. I understand Jackie Baillie’s point of view, and I know that she has had a lot to do with the petition, for which I thank her. I have concerns about the points that have been raised and about the long-term effects of prescribed drug dependence but, on balance, I feel that we have taken the petition as far as we reasonably can. At least we have achieved a consultation process, and that has to run its course. The petitioners can feed into that along with others who are concerned about the issue. After the public consultation, if Dr Brown or her team are unhappy with any points, they can lodge a new petition. We need to give the consultation process and the short-life working group a chance. I concur with the issues that Dr Brown has raised with me in my time as a regional MSP, and I am concerned about the long-term effects. Nevertheless, I agree with my colleagues and with you, convener, that we should close the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders, and on the basis that I have just set out.
In the same item of business
The Convener
Lab
The next continued petition is PE1651, which was lodged by Marion Brown on behalf of Recovery and Renewal. The petition calls on the Scottish Government to t...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the convener and the committee for allowing me to speak. As someone who has previously attended meetings of the committee, I was definitely not going...
The Convener
Lab
I thank Jackie Baillie for her kind words. It is always useful to start nicely if you are going to make a case for a petition to be continued. I will be inte...
David Torrance
SNP
I thank the petitioner Marion Brown for bringing the petition to the committee. Progress has been made on it—not everything that the petitioner wants, but th...
Tom Mason
Con
It is a difficult one, but on balance I go with your thoughts, convener. We have achieved quite a bit with the petition. A consultation is going on and the p...
Gail Ross
SNP
I concur with what has been said. The right thing to do is to let the consultation run its course. The petitioners and anyone else who has been following the...
Maurice Corry
Con
I, too, know Marion Brown from my work as a regional MSP—I have had several meetings with her. I understand Jackie Baillie’s point of view, and I know that s...
The Convener
Lab
I am not sure whether Jackie Baillie wants to come back in, but there is a clear consensus on action. Is there anything that you want to flag up to us, Jackie?
Jackie Baillie
Lab
Yes, convener. I know when not to flog a dead horse, but let me make a couple of observations that the committee might want to raise with the Scottish Govern...
The Convener
Lab
We recognise your comment about how long it has taken to get to this point. Clearly, for people who are in the middle of the system and who feel that folk ar...