Committee
Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee 11 March 2026 [Draft]
11 Mar 2026 · S6 · Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee
Item of business
Continued Petitions
Children (Automatic Expulsions) (PE2139)
I wonder whether the committee would consider closing the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders, given the Scottish Government’s position that it would not be lawful to employ a policy of automatic exclusion without considering the individual circumstances of each case, given that the Government has no plans to change the law on exclusions, and given that the committee has undertaken detailed work on broader issues relating to violence among young people.In closing the petition, the committee could write to the petitioner, suggesting that she submits a new petition in the next session, in the light of the evidence received on this petition. A new petition could, for example, call for a presumption that automatic exclusion would be appropriate in extreme circumstances.
In the same item of business
The Convener
Con
PE2139, which was lodged by Maria Giordano, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to introduce automatic expulsion for children wh...
David Torrance
SNP
I wonder whether the committee would consider closing the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders, given the Scottish Government’s position that it would...
The Convener
Con
We could also pick up on a point that we can lift from the submission by the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland about its concern over the lac...
Davy Russell
Lab
Yes, I think that that is the way to go. In summing up, the commissioner’s submission notes that automatic exclusion is a bit severe, and every individual ca...
The Convener
Con
But if the focus was narrowed to the most extreme cases, it might be easier.
Davy Russell
Lab
Yes, but I do not think that it is good for kids not to be in school or in class. We may need a system where they are moved to another class or another schoo...
The Convener
Con
Mr Golden, do you have anything to add?
Maurice Golden
Con
No.
The Convener
Con
I think that, in this instance, we will close the petition, but with those recommendations. The issue could be explored further and, if we had had more time,...