Agenda item 4 is on public petitions. We must consider four petitions, which are in two groups. The first group has petitions PE422, PE430 and PE454, on the provision of playing fields in Scotland. At our meeting on 8 January, we agreed to write to the Minister for Social Justice to ask for the Executive's views on sportscotland's comments about guidance on standards for the provision of playing fields.The minister's response indicates that two days after sportscotland wrote to the committee, the Executive met sportscotland and said that it does not object to the proposal to prepare guidance. In view of the Executive's correspondence, the committee might feel that it would be fitting to conclude the petition by writing to the petitioners, stating that the committee's policy is to not take a view on individual local planning decisions, and providing them with the correspondence that the committee has received on the issue, which includes reference to the fact that the Executive has no objections to preparing guidance on the provision of playing fields. Do members agree with that course of action or does anybody want to suggest another?
Official Report · Committee
Petitions
School Playing Fields (PE422, PE430 and PE454)
Speakers
Choose an MSP to read only their contributions- Bristow Muldoon Lab 3
- Bruce Crawford SNP 2
- John Scott Con 1
The record
7 contributionsI am glad that the committee decided to push on with the petition, which has had a good outcome. The Executive has considered what was said and has acted promptly on it. I am happy with the convener's suggested course of action, but I am not sure what "preparation of guidance" means. Guidance can be prepared, but is the Executive prepared to accept and implement such guidance? Does the word "preparation" mean that? It might be okay to prepare guidance, but the guidance could just sit in the stocks and nothing could happen. Does the Executive intend to follow the matter through?
I cannot answer for the Executive, but if it is comfortable about guidance being prepared, I take it that that implies that the Executive would pursue and issue such guidance. That is what I would take from the minister's response.
That is good. I am quite pleased with that.
I, too, am happy with the option that is outlined in paragraph 8. If the Executive went to the trouble of preparing guidance, I would expect it to follow it through.
Are members agreed that we will correspond with the petitioners as suggested.
Members indicated agreement.
In this meeting
Everything on 4 Mar 2003 →- Scottish Parliament Transport and the Environment Committee Tuesday 4 March 2003 (Morning) Committee business · 3
- Item in Private Procedure · 2
- Subordinate Legislation Subordinate legislation · 46
- Subordinate Legislation Subordinate legislation · 26
- Subordinate Legislation Subordinate legislation · 2
- Petitions Petitions · 7
- Petitions Petitions · 9
- Planning Committee business · 44
- Petitions Petitions · 1
- Petitions Petitions · 2
- Petitions Petitions · 4
- Petitions Petitions · 10
- Subordinate Legislation Subordinate legislation · 3
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