Committee
Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee 21 February 2024
21 Feb 2024 · S6 · Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee
Item of business
New Petitions
Dog Boarding Kennels (Fire Safety) (PE2058)
I support Mr Golden’s suggestions, but will add one inquiry that should be made, although I am not quite sure of whom. Obviously, we have legislation on sprinklers in domestic flats—I think that that was introduced pre-Covid, around 2018. It has been drawn to my attention by a constituent of mine who is a builder or renovator of flats that, at that time, the estimated costs that were given for installing sprinklers were very modest. He told me that, for various practical reasons, those costs have risen astronomically such that, in his instance, they might even make the construction of flats unviable. I thought that I would mention that because, if costs have risen several times—not just by £1,000 or £2,000, but by huge amounts—and we are to pursue the proposal, at an early stage we would need somewhere to get advice from about the costs to kennels and other establishments that Mr Golden mentioned. I thought that I should throw that in out of fairness and balance. Just last week, I got a quite alarming letter from a constituent. We all want safety, but would a £100 smoke detector be as effective? That was his argument, rightly or wrongly. I voted to pass the sprinkler legislation, but it has turned out to be grossly more expensive than was estimated at the time.
In the same item of business
The Convener
Con
PE2058, on requiring all dog boarding kennels to install smoke detectors, smoke alarms and sprinkler systems, was lodged by Julie Louden. The petition calls ...
Maurice Golden
Con
I think that we should write to the Scottish Government to ask when its analysis of the responses to its consultation on the licensing of activities involvin...
The Convener
Con
Those suggestions seem to be very worth while.
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I support Mr Golden’s suggestions, but will add one inquiry that should be made, although I am not quite sure of whom. Obviously, we have legislation on spri...
The Convener
Con
That is also a perfectly reasonable suggestion to make. We will take forward the petition, mindful of all the suggestions that colleagues have made. I wonde...
Maurice Golden
Con
I do not know about boarding kennels. There is one at Happas, near Forfar. Edinburgh Cat and Dog Home deals with rehoming, and it might even have made an ass...
The Convener
Con
In view of Mr Ewing’s comments, it might be worth our asking one or two relevant associations what they believe the consequence of the proposal would be and ...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I do not think that they are extremely profitable businesses.
The Convener
Con
No. Okay. We can do that, too.