Committee
Public Petitions Committee 22 September 2015
22 Sep 2015 · S4 · Public Petitions Committee
Item of business
Continued Petitions
St Margaret of Scotland Hospice (PE1105)
I am one of those members who have been involved with the petition all the way through, as I was a substitute committee member in November 2007, when the petition was originally presented. My colleagues have commented on the final paragraph in the cabinet secretary’s letter. That warrants some comment, particularly the point that Mr Carlaw and Mr MacDonald have referred to. The cabinet secretary suggests that we close the petition, which is perhaps a hint that we should not close it. The serious point in that final paragraph is the issue about the Government being “unsuccessful in progressing the expert accountancy review.” I would like to know why the Government has been unsuccessful in proceeding with that. I know that there were issues about who should be appointed to carry out the review, but I hope that we have come to a stage at which all sides can agree. As Gil Paterson has said, if we could get the right person to carry out the review, we could move forward substantially. I would like to find out why the Scottish Government has been unsuccessful in getting the issue resolved. After all, we received its response in July. Things have moved on; the health board and the hospice have moved on; and we could reach an early resolution. However, as Gil Paterson has made clear, the review has to be carried out to the satisfaction of everyone concerned, so that we can move on and close this petition in a way that ensures that the petitioner feels that the issue has been dealt with in a way that accommodates the petition’s initial intent. We could write to the Government to ask it not only to hold the review but to set a timetable for the review to be carried out, so that we are not sitting here considering the petition in eight or nine years’ time because the review has not been carried out. I think that the review could be carried out quickly, and that Government could give us a timescale for that.
In the same item of business
The Convener
Lab
Agenda item 4 is consideration of eight continued petitions, the first of which is PE1105, by Marjorie McCance, on St Margaret of Scotland Hospice. Members h...
Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
SNP
I would certainly be grateful for that, convener. I will start at the end, by making my appeal to the committee to keep the petition open. I note that the c...
The Convener
Lab
Members have been keeping an eye on the issue as it has moved forward. I open up the discussion to suggestions from members.
Jackson Carlaw
Con
I have to say that I am slightly uncomfortable that the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport has almost tried to direct the committee in its dec...
Angus MacDonald
SNP
I note the Scottish Government’s suggestion that we close the petition, which I have to say is an unusual response—we do not get many of those from the Gover...
John Wilson
Ind
I am one of those members who have been involved with the petition all the way through, as I was a substitute committee member in November 2007, when the pet...
The Convener
Lab
The consensus appears to be that we do not want to put this to bed yet—pun intended. We will write to the Government in the terms that John Wilson has sugges...
Gil Paterson
SNP
It does not disappoint me, convener.
The Convener
Lab
Do we agree to the suggested action? Members indicated agreement.