Current Petitions

The second current petition is PE621, by Christopher Yorkston, which calls on the Parliament to urge the Executive to address the violence that affects Scotland by providing violence-intervention programmes and anger-management courses to anyone who feels that such a course would improve their quality of life. The petitioner believes that the Executive should promote actively intervention in all types of violence and aggression that exist in Scotland, but particularly domestic, social, racial, sectarian and international violence, which he claims are increasing. The petitioner would like such programmes to be available to anyone who requests them, not only to offenders and psychiatric patients.We considered the petition on 3 September and agreed to write to the Executive to ask for its views, and for details about promotion of violence-intervention programmes and anger-management courses. The Executive has provided details of the range of anger-management services that are available through the health service, the voluntary sector or the Scottish Prison Service and has given details of its work with local authorities to create a positive ethos in schools and to tackle indiscipline. Anger-management services seem to be targeted at those who are identified as having a clear need for them. Such services are already stretched, although in an effort to address the situation steps are being taken to train clinical psychologists and other psychological therapists.Do members have any comments on the petition or recommendations on what to do with it?

Do members agree with that?Members indicated agreement.