Parliament Workbench
Data: Official Report to 12 Nov 2026

Official Report · Committee

Current Petitions

Criminal Memoirs (Publication for Profit) (PE504)

Tuesday 16 December 2008 Public Petitions Committee Petitions 13 contributions · 3 speakers

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The record

13 contributions
Frank McAveety Lab The Convener · Glasgow Shettleston
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Item 3 is consideration of current petitions. PE504 is from Mr and Mrs James Watson and calls on the Scottish Parliament to take the necessary steps to prevent convicted murderers or members of their families from profiting from their crimes by selling accounts of their crimes for publication.Do members have any comments on the petition? It has been in for a while, and several issues remain unresolved.

Nigel Don SNP North East Scotland
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Are we permitted to express extreme frustration—

Frank McAveety Lab The Convener · Glasgow Shettleston
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I have never experienced it, but there you go.

Nigel Don SNP North East Scotland
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Could we just write to the Government, in diplomatic language—

Frank McAveety Lab The Convener · Glasgow Shettleston
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There was an aside from a Partick Thistle supporter about some football concerns of mine and not getting a last-minute penalty from a referee.

Bill Butler Lab Glasgow Anniesland
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Just general frustration is usual for you, convener. Laughter.

Nigel Don SNP North East Scotland
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We all know that the referee's decision is as final as the convener's.

Frank McAveety Lab The Convener · Glasgow Shettleston
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And equally detested, perhaps.

Nigel Don SNP North East Scotland
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I am not sure of the value of this suggestion, but I think that we should write to the Government once again to say, "Please, please, get the British Government to do something." The issue should surely not be contentious or kicked into the long grass.

Frank McAveety Lab The Convener · Glasgow Shettleston
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I think that we are agreed on that. We are all disheartened about the length of the process, so we can make very strong representations and raise the issue directly with the Government.

Bill Butler Lab Glasgow Anniesland
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Especially as it is about six years since the issue was first raised—a long, long time.

In this meeting

Everything on 16 Dec 2008 →
  1. Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee Tuesday 16 December 2008 Petitions · 1
  2. Decision on Taking Business in Private Procedure · 1
  3. New Petitions Petitions · 13
  4. New Petitions Petitions · 12
  5. New Petitions Petitions · 6
  6. New Petitions Petitions · 6
  7. Current Petitions Petitions · 13
  8. Current Petitions Petitions · 10
  9. Current Petitions Petitions · 8
  10. Current Petitions Petitions · 5
  11. Current Petitions Petitions · 19
  12. Current Petitions Petitions · 4
  13. Current Petitions Petitions · 3
  14. Current Petitions Petitions · 8
  15. Current Petitions Petitions · 3
  16. Current Petitions Petitions · 7
  17. Current Petitions Petitions · 32
  18. Current Petitions Petitions · 4
  19. Current Petitions Petitions · 3
  20. Current Petitions Petitions · 4
  21. Current Petitions Petitions · 3
  22. Current Petitions Petitions · 9
  23. Current Petitions Petitions · 1
  24. Current Petitions Petitions · 16
  25. New Petitions (Notification) Petitions · 1
  26. Work Programme Procedure · 15
  27. Review of SPCB-supported Bodies Evidence session · 4

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