New Petitions

Item 2 is consideration of eight new petitions. As this will be the last meeting at which new petitions will be considered, the committee has agreed not to take oral evidence in order to get as many new petitions as possible on to the agenda.PE1381, by Gwen Garner on behalf of Action for Sick Children (Scotland), is on education provision for children and young people absent from school because of illness. Do members have any suggestions on how to proceed with this petition?

We should continue our consideration of the petition and write to the Scottish Government, asking for its response to the petitioner’s points and whether it will act on her request. We could also ask the Government about variations in the practices of education authorities in delivering education to sick children after five days, or sooner when it is known in advance that the length of their absence is likely to be longer than five days; whether it is concerned about those variations; about the measures that it will take, the recommendations that it will make and with whom it will address these issues; and about its response to the seven questions set out in section 5 of the petition. That would be a good start.

Does the committee agree?

Taking a bit of a liberty as committee convener, I should say that, having had a daughter who many years ago had many hospital stays, I am well aware that the issue has needed to be sorted out for a long time now.

So we agree to continue the petition. Thank you.