The Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee will conclude its work this Parliament in March 2026 ahead of the next Scottish Parliament election. So the Committee has time to complete its work, it has agreed not to consider petitions submitted after 10 October.
The Committee will continue to meet but given the volume of petitions and agreed work programme it is unlikely that the Committee would be able to meaningfully progress work on petitions submitted after 10 October ahead of the election. Petitions lodged after this date will not fall when the Parliament is dissolved and will be for the successor committee to consider in the new session.
If you are seeking urgent action or policy change please contact one of your 8 MSPs or the Scottish Government directly.
Under consideration PE1989: Increase defibrillators in public spaces and workplaces
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to support the provision of defibrillators in public spaces and workplaces.
Previous action taken
I contacted Paul Sweeney MSP to ask about a Petition to widen access to Automated External Defibrillators (AED) and was advised of the Committee route.
Background information
Following the fatal cardiac arrest of a close family member in a large, local supermarket, my request for an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was refused, despite my highlighting that all other large supermarkets locally provided these.
A bereaved family may be comforted to know that everything that could have been done to save the life of their loved one, was done. The effect on shop staff in such a fatality can be traumatic also.
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in adults over the age of 40. British Heart Foundation say that “Cardiac arrest is a critical medical emergency" and "Unless treated immediately, leads to death within minutes. With around 3,200 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Scotland each year, the survival rate is just 1 in 10". An AED increases survival rates but the provision of AEDs is random.
582 signatures
This petition is now under consideration
Click here for further information about the consideration of this petition.