The Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee will conclude its work in March 2026 ahead of the next Scottish Parliament election. While it will continue to meet, the Committee has agreed it will not consider petitions submitted after 10 October. This is to ensure all petitions currently in the system can be considered before the next Scottish Parliament election. It is also unlikely that the Committee would be able to schedule and meaningfully progress petitions submitted after 10 October before the election. Contact the Committee team at petitions.committee@parliament.scot for more information about the petitions process.
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Under consideration PE2198: Establish a standardised and fair public participation process for all Scottish councils
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to introduce new legislation or amend existing legislation in order to:
1) require all local authorities in Scotland to adopt, within a specified timeframe, a set of minimum standards for public participation processes (questions, deputations, petitions) that ensure such processes are accessible, transparent, fair, inclusive and consistent across Scotland;
2) designate a new or existing body to oversee and monitor compliance with such standards and either take or recommend action when these are not met.
Background information
The petition does not ask the Scottish Government to interfere with local authorities’ democratic mandates, but simply to ensure that fair, transparent and accessible participatory processes are set out and implemented consistently across Scotland’s local communities. Existing laws (such as the Community Empowerment Act) mandate participation but do not always define standards or enforce consistency.
Clackmannanshire Council does not allow deputations or public questions on any matter. In Dundee, RAAC homeowners and campaigners in Dundee have been blocked from speaking at meetings, as councillors failed to respond to repeated requests to raise RAAC as an agenda item. In England, many councils allow public questions without a linked agenda item, helping generate debate and enabling deputations. In Scotland, even when deputations are permitted, responses can be incomplete or entirely ignored, with no formal route for follow-up except at future meetings. Some councils assist the public by advising when they may speak; others provide confusing schedules and expect residents to navigate council calendars alone. The lack of consistency across councils deters meaningful participation and leaves communities without a voice.
25 signatures
This petition is now under consideration
Click here for further information about the consideration of this petition.