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1. Decision on taking business in private:

The Committee agreed to take items 4 and 5 in private. 

2. Consideration of continued petitions:

The Committee considered the following continued petitions: 

• PE2018: Recognise the value of swimming pools and provide financial relief to help keep pools open. The Committee took evidence from— 

John Lunn, Chief Executive, Scottish Swimming 

Derek McGown, Coach, East Kilbride Swimming Club 

Duncan Scott OBE, Olympic Athlete 

Abi Thomson, Young Volunteer Programme Champion 

and then from— 

Dianne Breen, Coached Programmes Manager, Sport Aberdeen 

Kirsty Doig, Director, The Darcey Sunshine Project 

Jillian Gibson, Policy Manager for Sport and Physical Activity, COSLA 

Ben Lamb, Chief Executive, West Lothian Leisure (Xcite) 

and then considered— 

• PE1911: Review of Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006 as it relates to post-mortems. The Committee agreed to write to the Lord Advocate. 

• PE2136: Make non fatal strangulation a standalone criminal offence in Scotland. The Committee agreed to refer the petition to the Criminal Justice Committee. 

• PE1610: Upgrade the A75. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders.  

• PE1657: A77 upgrade. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders. 

• PE1916: Request a public inquiry into the management of the rest and be thankful project. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders. 

• PE1967: Protect Loch Lomond’s Atlantic oakwood shoreline by implementing the High road option for the A82 upgrade between Tarbet and Inverarnan. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders. 

• PE2132: Publish a timeline for the dualling of the A96 between Inverness and Nairn by Easter 2025. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport. 

• PE1962: Stop motorhomes parking overnight out with formal campsites, caravan parks and Aires. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government. 

• PE2024: Create a national, public information programme to raise awareness of the impacts of steroids, selective androgen receptor modulators, and other performance enhancing drugs. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders. In closing the petition, the Committee agreed to write to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. 

• PE2079: Introduce legislation to provide for exemptions in paying medical facility parking charges and to create a new classification of parking badge for care-givers. The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders.  

3. Consideration of new petitions:

The Committee considered the following new petitions: 

• PE2139: Automatic expulsion for children charged with committing a crime against another child. The Committee agreed to write to COSLA, Connect , the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights), and the Scottish Youth Parliament. 

• PE2146: Allow the use of privately sourced donor eggs in NHS funded IVF treatment. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government. 

4. Consideration of Evidence (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence it heard under item 2.

5. Work programme (In Private):

The Committee agreed to the use of a pro forma for Scottish Government responses to new petitions, and agreed to review the use of this pro forma before the end of the current parliamentary session.