Tory MSP Maurice Corry asks if it would be possible to ask the manufacturer to appear in front of the committee.

Ms Lamont says that can be looked into.

Ms Stephen suggests the committee speak to the doctor who was involved at the time given that so much time has passed.

Ms Lamont says that they would be wary of that.

Mr Corry says it would be worth contacting the Canadian authorities for the reasons that they stopped it.

Ms Stephen says they stopped it at the time because they thought it may have been causing meningitis and mumps.

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Ms Stephen says she would like a statement acknowledging that there was a problem with this vaccine and some children were left with lasting disabilities.

She says nobody has ever mentioned Pluserix or acknowledged the difficulties.

Committee convener Johann Lamont says the committee would want to ask further questions on this committee.

SNP MSP Angus MacDonald says the Scottish government view on this must be sought.

Ms Lamont says the committee has got a very strong sense of the injustice here.

Image source, Thinkstock

Tory MSP Maurice Corry asks if the Scottish government agreed to make payments what system would she recommend so that it is fit for purpose.

Ms Stephen says she would seek a payment to be made because the only way to bring a legal case would be to lift the time bar.

Mr Corry asks if she has considered any action against the manufacturing company.

Ms Stephen says her action in England was against the manufacturer which was the only defendant and that case was limited by time bar.

Tory MSP Edward Mountain says he is trying to come to terms with how many people have been affected by this.

Ms Stephen says: "Nobody has ever counted that figure."

She says MHRA says 11 cases of sensory neural deafness in association with that vaccine, but that is only one side effect.

Ms Stephen says it was listed as a possible side-effect of the vaccine.

SNP MSP Rona Mackay says this is to some extent historical and before devolution but the Scottish government can make payments to anyone affected.

Ms Mackay asks if the Scottish government has paid any compensation to anyone.

Ms Stephen says "no" and that she is unaware of any payments being made by the Scottish government.

She says she has been campaigning for 20 years and has received legal aid but that she's not been able to bring a case on the issue.

Ms Stephen says she wrote to, the then, First Minister Alex Salmond to ask why she could not bring an action and got a letter back saying the Scottish government could not give out legal advice.

SNP MSP Angus MacDonald says the committee understands compensation could be paid via the Vaccine Damage Payments Act.

Wendy Stephen says: "I don't think it addresses the problem."

People can be told they have been damaged by the vaccine, but they are told they have not been damaged enough for compensation she says.

Ms Stephen says the assessors at the Vaccine Damage Payment Unit deem whether the vaccine damage has reached 60%.

Ms Lamont asks if Ms Stephen has a view on how the compensation should work.

Ms Stephen says there are applicants where vaccine damage has been acknowledged but not to the extent that compensation would have to be paid.

Wendy Stephen says relevant files have been destroyed

Ms Stephen asks why the highly problematic and dangerous vaccine was able to enter the market.

She says to date children who have suffered neurological damage since the vaccine have received neither acknowledgement or compensation.

Ms Stephen says in April 1990 they continued to support the use of Pluserix on children.

She says in September 1992 Pluserix was removed.

Ms Stephen says the department of health have commissioned a study of all cases of mumps and meningitis and there are cases of disability as a result of this.

She says some applicants have been acknowledged as vaccine damaged but not damaged enough to receive any payment.

Ms Stephen says in 2008, the then, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the files were not held centrally.

PE01568 calls for compensation for those who suffered a neurological disability following administration of the Pluserix vaccine between 1988 and 1992 .

It calls on the parliament to urge the Scottish government to acknowledge and compensate individuals who suffered permanent neurological disabilities following administration of the Urabe mumps containing Pluserix MMR which was recommended and promoted by the Scottish Home and Health Department (SHHD) in their MMR vaccine campaign between October 1988 and September 1992.

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Wendy Stephen says the brand of MMR vaccine in her petition is not in use today and has not been used since 1992.

Ms Stephen says in 1988 the Scottish Home and Health department supported the marketing of Pluserix vaccine.

She says it was introduced in Scotland despite evidence similar problems as seen in Canada were happening here.

Ms Stephen says the Canadians concludeed the vaccine was not safe and one has to wonder how anyone thought it was safe for children in Scotland.

The Public Petitions Committee will now consider the following new petitions:

• PE1658, external by Wendy Stephen on Compensation for those who suffered a neurological disability following administration of the Pluserix vaccine between 1988 and 1992

MSPs will take evidence from Wendy Stephen.

Here is the submission from Ms Stephen. , external

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Committee convener Johann Lamont thanks all the witnesses for their thoughts today.

The committee suspends briefly.

SNP MSP Angus MacDonald and Tory MSP Maurice Corry agree to ask the justice secretary to come and give evidence on these issues.

Ms Lamont says there are many staff and volunteers trying to make contact work.

Johann Lamont asks if it would be useful to get the justice secretary to visit the committee on these issues.

Tory MSP Edward Mountain says it would be useful to do that and sooner rather than later because the system may fail children in the meantime.

Dr Marsha Scott from Scottish Women's Aid says there are challenges around reflecting the needs of children in the Domestic Abuse Bill and the way to reflect the experience of children as victims could be improved in the Bill.

Dr Scott says the government seem sympathetic towards this but cannot find a solution without derailing the Bill.

Ian Maxwell from Families Need Fathers says contact centres happened because there was a need for parents to be safe.

Mr Maxwell says "we should be cautious about throwing that out".

He says they are doing a difficult job and there needs to be better regulation but there is a good service there.

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Ms Lamont asks about charges for those who use a contact centre.

Stuart Valentine from Relationships Scotland says many of the cases that go supervised contact are covered through legal aid.

The majority of supported cases have no charge he says.

In some circumstances people are asked to pay, but only if they are able he says.

Dr Marsha Scott from Scottish Women's Aid says it does not matter where the bricks and mortar are but that the child is safe and the "deemed safe" part doesn't seem to be happening.

Dr Scott says most of the children involved in visitation and custody are not going through the courts.

"It is really important to invest in communities to do this better," she says.

SNP MSP Angus MacDonald asks about the family justice modernisation strategy.

Mhairi McGowan from ASSIST says it is absolutely crucial that there is a set of standards.

Ms McGowan says she is absolutely in favour of regulations.

Dr Marsha Scott from Scottish Women's Aid says: "We need regulation."

She says she absolutely would support a move to monitor child contact.