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Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.
John Wilson SNP Committee
05 Mar 2013
Current Petitions
I agree that we should keep the petition open. I declare that, as a signatory to it, I support the petition. It is important that we get responses from CBI Scotland and COSLA before we write to the Scottish Government, as we need comprehensive responses on the petition. If we ...
John Wilson Ind Committee
30 Sep 2014
New Petitions
Convener, I seek clarification of your view that we should write to the Scottish Government. We should write to the education department, but we should also write to the health department, because there are two separate issues here. The guidance to the local authority educatio...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
17 Mar 2009
New Petitions
We have to open up the debate on this issue. We should write to the Government, but it might also be useful to write to the Scottish Inter Faith Council to get its view. We should also write to some of the non-mainstream religious organisations. I am aware that the Humanist So...
John Wilson Ind Committee
27 Oct 2015
New Petitions
I agree that we should write to COSLA, but I also suggest that we write to the local authority education department that covers Vale of Leven academy and to the headteacher at the school. I am interested to see the overall education policy of the local authority as opposed to ...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
03 Mar 2009
New Petitions
When we write to the Government, it might be useful also to write to the EIS to find out whether any issues have been identified by teachers on the front line. As Robin Harper indicated, many teachers are not aware of some of the symptoms that may develop in children who have ...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
26 Jan 2010
New Petitions
Bill Butler suggested that we write to ACPOS, but I ask that we do not do so at the moment, as it might give us its general view. I think that we should write to specific police forces in Scotland, because how different police forces tackle domestic violence, whether the perpe...
John Wilson SNP Committee
13 Nov 2012
New Petitions
Although I respect what Chic Brodie suggested, I suggest that we have a first trawl through this issue and write to a number of organisations to seek their views before we pass it on to the Health and Sport Committee. There are issues that we may be able to draw out. The clerk...
John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP Committee
04 Mar 2014
New Petition
The petition indicates that the petitioners wrote to all 32 local authorities but received responses from only 13, and only seven gave substantive assurances that they were tackling the issues that the petitioners raised. We can write to the Scottish Government and ask for it...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
21 Sep 2009
New Petitions
As well as writing to the Scottish Government to seek its views, we could write to the Scottish Trades Union Congress and to individual unions, such as Unite and the GMB, which might be involved in advising members in small workplaces. It might also be useful to write to the N...
John Wilson SNP Committee
26 Nov 2013
New Petition
I agree that we should write to the Scottish Government, the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care and the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, but I suggest that we also write to a couple of local authorities to find out their role in provision. Some of the funding co...
John Wilson Ind Committee
15 Dec 2015
New Petitions
I have a particular interest in this issue. I have asked questions in the Parliament in the past regarding enforcement with regard to non-native species. There is legislation, as the petitioner quite rightly identifies, but I am not sure that it is being used against landowner...
John Wilson Ind Committee
09 Jun 2015
New Petition
I agree with Jackson Carlaw about writing to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. I would also be interested to find out whether there has been a review of the CIC and the services that are delivered there. I would like to know whether the health board intends to cut back on service...
John Wilson Ind Committee
08 Mar 2016
Continued Petitions
Like Angus MacDonald, I think that we should keep the petition open. We have achieved a lot and useful progress has been made. However, the petitioners raised a number of questions in their submission of 1 March, in response to the Scottish Government’s action to date. It woul...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
12 Jan 2010
New Petitions
I should perhaps declare a personal interest in the petition—I live less than 100yd away from a railway line that is frequently used by Freightliner and DB Schenker. I understand the frustration that has been expressed. Michael Matheson secured a members' business debate on th...
John Wilson SNP Committee
21 Feb 2012
New Petition
I totally agree with Sandra White. We should write to the Scottish Government to ask it for its views on the petition. We should also write to a couple of local authorities to ask them for their views on it. In particular, we should write to North Ayrshire Council, as it is na...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
30 Mar 2009
New Petitions
Although we agreed to write to Grampian NHS Board, it would also be useful to write to other rural health boards, such as Highland NHS Board and Borders NHS Board, to find out what exactly is happening in those areas and whether there are common problems throughout rural healt...
John Wilson SNP Committee
15 Nov 2011
New Petitions
I agree with Nanette Milne. If we can get a committee debate in the chamber I would welcome the opportunity to raise the issue more widely. I hope that, after today’s presentation, there will be some media coverage of the issue. We might be able to get the message out more wid...
John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP Committee
20 Mar 2012
Current Petition
I thank Nigel Don for his verbal contribution today and for his written contribution to the debate. Nigel sat on the committee when we first considered the petition in the previous parliamentary session.Clearly, the work that David Young has done highlights a number of issues ...
John Wilson SNP Committee
20 Mar 2012
New Petitions
As you have identified, convener, the issue has been around in the Parliament for a number of years, and it has been discussed during that time. A number of representations have been made to me and, no doubt, other members regarding a commissioner for older people. Given the l...
John Wilson SNP Committee
18 Sep 2012
Current Petitions
Sandra White has pointed this one in my direction because I have a particular interest in the subject, as my wife has been diagnosed with pernicious anaemia. Issues were highlighted during the debate about treatment of patients with pernicious anaemia, particularly at general ...
John Wilson Ind Committee
03 Mar 2015
Current Petitions
I agree with Kenny MacAskill that we should keep the petition open and write to East Lothian Council and Scottish Enterprise to find out what is happening. As Angus MacDonald pointed out, NPF3 is, like NPF1 and NPF2, a wish list developed by the Scottish Government. It has al...
John Wilson Ind Committee
26 May 2015
New Petitions
May I suggest that we write to the Scottish Government? Although it is useful to write to SEPA and Scottish Water, they are acting under instruction from the Scottish Government. I would like to ask the Government why the decision was taken to have this as a closed review that...
John Wilson SNP Committee
06 May 2014
New Petitions
I know that Mr Bonney has given us a breakdown of the figures, but it would be useful to ask the Presiding Officer for a breakdown of who has given time for reflection over the past three years of the current session of Parliament and what body or religious organisation they r...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
08 Sep 2009
New Petitions
I support both Bill Butler and Robin Harper. We need to extend the list of organisations that we want to question. The list of religious groups that Bill Butler read out misses out a number of faith-based groups that are based in Scotland. It might be worth while for us to wri...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
01 Dec 2009
New Petitions
It would be useful to write to some health boards to find out how extensively LDN is being used. The petitioners have mentioned 6,000 people throughout the UK using it and have said that certain GPs are readily giving out LDN to patients who require it, but perhaps it would be...
John Wilson SNP Committee
18 Sep 2012
Current Petitions
The petitioners raise a number of issues in their letter. As Sandra White has indicated, it is important that we write to the Scottish Ambulance Service. We should ask it about the first-responder meeting that was held in March, because the indication that the petitioners got ...
John Wilson SNP Committee
18 Sep 2012
Current Petitions
I must declare a particular interest in the issue. Our first evidence session today was on safe play areas. To all intents and purposes, PE1433 is about turning over unused public land or other unused land for useful food production. However, food comes in many shapes and size...
John Wilson SNP Committee
16 Apr 2013
Current Petitions
I thank Elaine Smith for coming along and sharing her experience with us.Although I agree that the holding of a short-term inquiry on the subject should be considered, the issue is whether the Health and Sport Committee or the Equal Opportunities Committee would be willing to ...
John Wilson Ind Committee
30 Sep 2014
New Petitions
We should work on the petition. As you have suggested, we should write to the Scottish Government to seek clarification on what the legislation is intended to deliver. The Law Society of Scotland’s views would be useful, as would be those of the Family Law Association and Fami...
John Wilson Ind Committee
23 Feb 2015
New Petitions
I suggest that we also write to DEFRA. Clearly, the local authorities in England and Wales are not operating under guidance that they have developed; the guidance has been issued by DEFRA. It would be useful to find out from DEFRA why the same regulation from Europe is being i...
John Wilson Ind Committee
28 Apr 2015
New Petitions
I agree that we should write to the Scottish Government to find out what is happening. In particular, we should ask what happened to the national parks strategy group that was part of the recommendations from 2009. We are now six years on and it would be useful to find out whe...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
17 Mar 2009
New Petitions
I would also be keen for us to seek the Government's view on the current best-value policies, because a number of issues have been raised about how best value applies and is interpreted. It would be useful to know whether the Government intends to review the best-value policie...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
01 Dec 2009
New Petitions
We should get the information from the health boards, convener. For example, it would be useful to contact Lanarkshire NHS Board and possibly one other NHS board to find out whether they are aware of GPs prescribing the drug. As the petitioners said, MS is highly prevalent in ...
John Wilson Ind Committee
28 Apr 2015
Continued Petitions
When we write to the Scottish Government, it might be useful to ask when in June the task force is going to meet. If it is early June, it would be useful for the committee to deal with the matter before the summer recess to enable us to consider having an early evidence sessio...
John Wilson Ind Committee
22 Sep 2015
New Petitions
It is right to contact the organisations that have been named so far, but it might be useful if we also contacted a number of independent food bank operators. It is useful to get the views of the Trussell Trust, but it does not represent the food bank movement. Some of the iss...
John Wilson Ind Committee
27 Oct 2015
New Petitions
It is not quite North Korean brainwashing but, in Jackson Carlaw’s case, it is something that may have to be investigated. The Scottish Parliament information centre briefing refers to the Countess of Mar’s question in the House of Lords and the response from Lord Prior of B...
John Wilson Ind Committee
23 Feb 2016
Continued Petitions
I am reluctant to close the petition, because the response from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency raises a number of questions. For example, I want to ask SEPA where we are with the research and the trials on potential biocontrol measures for invasive non-native speci...
John Wilson SNP Committee
26 Oct 2010
New Petitions
If we are opening up the discussion on who to write to, I suggest that we write to ask the Faculty of Advocates and the Law Society of Scotland for their views. The difficulty with the petition is that we will tend to write to ask lawyers—people who have come through the legal...
John Wilson SNP Committee
29 Oct 2010
New Petitions
We should write to ACPOS, as Andrew Deans suggested that the police appear to have some divergent views on the issue. We should also write to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, because if young people are being persecuted in such a manner, it is a human rights issue. ...
John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP Committee
04 Oct 2011
New Petitions
I agree that we should write to the Scottish Government. I suggest that we also write to the Scottish Medicines Consortium to ask for its views on the petition, in light of the petitioner’s comments. I was going to say that we should write to a number of health boards but, hav...
John Wilson SNP Committee
14 Dec 2011
Business Gateway Inquiry
When we write to COSLA, could we write specifically to its president and political group leaders? Our letter would go into the COSLA machinery, but we are looking for information on the political input into the direction that the business gateway takes at local and national le...
John Wilson SNP Committee
02 Oct 2012
New Petitions
Professor Crichton has made a number of good points in this debate. I suggest that, as well as writing to the Scottish Government and the organisations that you highlighted, including ABI Scotland, we should write to the UK Government to ask for its views on the issue, and to ...
John Wilson SNP Committee
13 Nov 2012
New Petitions
I agree with Anne McTaggart that we should also write to the UK Government about the petition and get its view on it, the Gambling Act 2005 and payday loan companies. In that regard, I like Mr Cameron’s reference earlier to “loan-shark shops” in the high street. If only they w...
John Wilson SNP Committee
28 Jan 2014
New Petitions
I think that we should do those things in tandem. We need to write to the Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland, as a number of small retailers are members of it and we might get further evidence to back the petition. The petition indicates that the number of small busine...
John Wilson SNP Committee
10 Dec 2013
New Petitions
I suggest that we also write to the Scottish Association for Mental Health, which has been referred to today, and to the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland. Comments have been made about psychiatrists and their treatment of patients. Given some of the evidence that we...
John Wilson SNP Committee
18 Feb 2014
Current Petitions
Mr Brodie is right to continue to raise concerns about certain confidentiality agreements—or what the petitioners describe as gagging orders—that have been placed on staff. I think that the paragraph at the bottom of the first page of the cabinet secretary’s response to Mr Fin...
John Wilson SNP Committee
17 Jun 2014
New Petitions
I would be minded to write to Rupert Murdoch. If we do not write to him as an individual, perhaps we can write to his corporation.
John Wilson SNP Committee
03 Jun 2014
New Petition
I have a few more recommendations to make. I suggest that we write to the Royal College of Surgeons and the British Medical Association to seek their views on the procedures. I also suggest that we write to four health boards in Scotland—I have randomly chosen NHS Lothian, NHS...
John Wilson Ind Committee
13 Jan 2015
New Petitions
Usually, the committee has three options: to write to various organisations to seek further information, to refer the petition to another committee of this Parliament or to close the petition. Angus MacDonald suggests that we write to the convener of the Rural Affairs, Climat...
John Wilson (Central Scotland) (Ind) Ind Committee
17 Mar 2015
Current Petitions
I support Jackson Carlaw in that assertion. The difficulty is that, while we may write to the Scottish Government, the response from the cabinet secretary makes reference to what is being undertaken by COSLA in relation to a financial assessment template. If we are going to w...
John Wilson Ind Committee
17 Mar 2015
New Petitions
To get a broader perspective, we should write to a number of other organisations to seek their views on the petition. I was thinking in particular of Barnardo’s Scotland, given that the charity has previously submitted a petition on child sexual exploitation. It might also be ...
John Wilson Ind Committee
24 Nov 2015
New Petitions
I suggest that we write to the Educational Institute of Scotland to get its views on the petition. We heard today that reductions in school library services have an impact on educational attainment and on teaching staff. We should also write to Unison Scotland, because I beli...
John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee
04 Mar 2008
New Petitions
It might also be useful to write to Citizens Advice Scotland. It does a lot of casework, so we could ask for its views on how advocacy work could assist it. I am sure that, if adequate advocates were available, CAS would refer individuals to that service rather than deal with ...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
04 Nov 2008
New Petitions
I understand that regulations have been set out by the UK Department for Transport. Two distinct issues arise. The first is whether the Westminster regulations are adequate to cover the use of prams or other means of transporting babies and children. I hate to say it, but we h...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
21 Apr 2009
New Petitions
We need to understand the terms and conditions for officers who serve in Kilmarnock prison, who are employed by Serco, because they are not the same as those that operate in the SPS. The committee may have to write to the Scottish Prison Officers Association to ask its views o...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
05 May 2009
New Petitions
The loophole in the current legislation, to which Sarah Boyack referred, must be closed immediately, or as soon as the Government can do so. Mr Player's example of rooms with 15 beds in them, wall to wall, in a party flat shows how people are flouting the legislation that the ...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
19 May 2009
New Petitions
I suggest that we write to the Howard League for Penal Reform to ask its position on the matter. It is clear that the petitioner has raised the issue because of decisions that have been made south of the border. An organisation such as the Howard League for Penal Reform might ...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
16 Jun 2009
New Petitions
As John Park outlined, given the proposed development at Rosyth docks and other work that is to take place, it is clear that a review of transport links into and around the area is needed. Having travelled on the road on a few occasions, I am extremely surprised that such a bu...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
21 Sep 2009
New Petitions
I agree with the other members of the committee that we should write to the Scottish Government to ask the questions that members have suggested. We should also write to Victim Support Scotland and the Scottish Police Federation. It would be useful to find out what individual ...
John Wilson: SNP Committee
06 Oct 2009
New Petitions
As Bill Butler and Robin Harper have said, there will, I hope, be very little if any sympathy for the petition in the Parliament. However, I understand some of the reasons why the petitioner felt it necessary to lodge it. I suggest that, as well as writing to the Scottish Gove...
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Committee

Public Petitions Committee 05 March 2013

05 Mar 2013 · S4 · Public Petitions Committee
Item of business
Current Petitions
People’s Charter (PE1452)
Wilson, John SNP Central Scotland Watch on SPTV
I agree that we should keep the petition open. I declare that, as a signatory to it, I support the petition. It is important that we get responses from CBI Scotland and COSLA before we write to the Scottish Government, as we need comprehensive responses on the petition. If we write to the Scottish Government now, without the responses from CBI Scotland and COSLA, we may end up having to write to the Scottish Government again on the basis of the issues raised in those responses. I am particularly interested in hearing from CBI Scotland, as the idea of the charter raises a number of issues that relate directly to issues on which CBI Scotland has reported in the past and will, no doubt, want to report on in the future. It would be interesting to get those responses before we write to the Scottish Government.I suggest that we keep the petition open, write to CBI Scotland and COSLA asking for responses, and consider those responses at a later date before we write to the Scottish Government.

In the same item of business

The Convener Lab
The fifth current petition is PE1452, by Vince Mills, on the people’s charter. Members have a note by the clerk and the submissions.We had a useful presentat...
Chic Brodie SNP
I made my view clear at the time, which is that a lot of the things that the petition is asking for are already in the Administration’s programme. I did not ...
The Convener Lab
I am sure that Chic Brodie will have a similar view when we finally come to dispose of the petition, unless the responses that we are still awaiting are radi...
John Wilson SNP
I agree that we should keep the petition open. I declare that, as a signatory to it, I support the petition. It is important that we get responses from CBI S...
Chic Brodie SNP
The point that John Wilson makes underlines why the petition should be closed. We will get a standard reply from CBI Scotland and COSLA about representations...
Jackson Carlaw Con
I very much support Chic Brodie’s view. The petition is so overwhelmingly broad-brush in its scope that we will end up with a forest of paperwork. If the com...
The Convener Lab
I take the member’s point, but my general view is that, if a petitioner has taken a lot of time and effort to launch a petition, we should do it justice by c...
Chic Brodie SNP
I understand that petitioners put a lot of time into their petitions but, with respect, I think that they might take some counsel before they embark on the a...
Adam Ingram SNP
I always like to see the correspondence completed before we dispose of a petition, so I agree with John Wilson in this instance.
Angus MacDonald SNP
I see the merits in both arguments. However, I agree with Adam Ingram that, given that we have requested responses from CBI Scotland and COSLA and they have ...
Anne McTaggart Lab
I am sure that this was part of the e-petitions system and a lot of signatures were involved. I think that it is important that we see it through thoroughly,...
The Convener Lab
Thank you. On balance, we will continue to seek information from CBI Scotland and COSLA and we will consider the petition again.