Ms Lamont welcomes progress that has been made and the fact the minister has been in contact with the petitioner.

The committee convener asks to what extent are we equipping our primary school children with first aid skills and if disadvantaged areas would be targeted.

Mr Swinney says he can't suggest at this stage that first aid will be comprehensive.

We have to raise awareness and participation in first aid training in schools, the education secretary adds, pointing to the importance of first aid teaching materials being more readily available.

Image source, Morrison Media

Rebecca Russell admits she was always a little accident prone as a child - a quirk which led to a fascination with mending broken bones.

At just 10 years old she can remember being drawn to a first aid stall at a fun day in Rosshall Park near her home in Crookston, Glasgow.

Eight years later, her interest in the human body would help her perform crucial emergency care for a young girl lying on the ground experiencing a fit, as they queued for one of her favourite bands RoadTrip.

"I was outside a gig when a young girl began having what was an epileptic fit and was going in and out of consciousness," Rebecca said.

"We were out in the street so I helped her, kept her warm and put her into the recovery position and kept trying to get her to talk as well as reassuring her until the ambulance arrived to take over."

Rebecca believes if St Andrew's First Aid is successful in its bid for all primary school children to be given the opportunity to learn life-saving skills, the benefits for society in Scotland will be huge.

Read more.

John Swinney says the Scottish government does not prescribe what is taught in schools and therefore there are no plans to make first aid training mandatory.

However, it is encouraged the first aid training is delivered as part of the health and wellbeing programme he adds.

Officials from the government and Education Scotland are meeting with the petitioner to consider how to further encourage roll-out, he says.

Children as young as three are being taught first aid using teddy bears in special training sessions.

The Dinky Doctors programme provides training for youngsters to help prepare them for possible emergency situations.

Thousands of the keen young local learners have already "graduated" from the Aberdeenshire-based Dinky Doctor school.

Now a Scotland-wide tour is planned for 2020 due to the interest the scheme has generated.

Read more.

The committee moves on to a petition on first aid training for all primary school children, external.

The convener welcomes:

• Education Secretary John Swinney
• Laura Meikle from the Scottish government

Scotland's right to choose: putting Scotland's future in Scotland's hands, external is available.

Ms Lamont says the committee will reflect on what has been heard today and allow people to respond what has been said, before taking further action on this petition..

The health secretary pledges to answer all the petitioner's questions and the committee suspends briefly.

Image source, bbc

Ms Lamont calls for a response to concerns highlighted in submissions to the committee, citing a lack of urgency and the fact the NHS doesn't understand ME patients.

Ms Freeman replies that she completely understands the frustration people feel about the lack of urgency and pace on this work.

The health secretary explains the work that has been commissioned will provide the data to move at pace, allowing next year's short-life working group to look at good quality care.

She insists people with ME have the same right to high quality care as anyone else, as ME is a neurological condition.

Health boards that think ME is a historical matter and the world has moved on so we need to correct that understanding, she says.

The two bits of work which have been commissioned will look at the variation of treatment across the country, explains Ms Freeman.

This will help to better establish a clear patient pathway, she adds.

The health secretary says it is expected to be completed early in 2020.

Image source, bbc

Committee convener Johann Lamont says the chief medical officer was to meet with ME Action, external and she asks for an update.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood says the meeting was very helpful, looking at going forward with research.

She adds she would support ME research with people with lived experience and welcomes suggestions.

A five-year action plan to support people with a neurological condition has been published by the Scottish government.

The Neurological Care and Support in Scotland: A Framework for Action 2020-2025, external aims to ensure people get access to personalised care and support, regardless of their particular condition or where in Scotland they live.

It has been developed with the neurological community and will be supported by £4.5m of funding.

The plan also aims to build a sustainable neurological workforce to deliver high standards of care in a timely manner.

Image source, Millions Missing

SPICE briefing, external: The petition calls on the Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review the level of support for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) in Scotland with a view to:

• Investing in biomedical research and creating a centre of excellence for ME
• Ensuring healthcare professionals' training and education materials reflect the latest scientific evidence
• Providing specialist care for patients and discontinuing the harmful treatments graded exercise therapy (GET) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman commits to everyone living with neurological conditions being able to access the best care and support.

Ms Freeman details new standards that have been published and cites the launch of Scotland's first framework for action on neurological care and support, external.

She says the framework outlines the neurological research agenda and there has been engagement with ME organisations.

They have been told a funding request will be considered by the government through the James Lind Alliance, the health secretary adds.

Training materials around the understanding of ME are also being developed, she says.

The minister says her officials have been in touch with the petitioner Emma Shorter and two pieces of work have been commissioned relating to ME, to be considered by a short-life working group next year.

NICE are undertaking a comprehensive review of therapies, however some people will be disappointed at the delay to its publication to the end of 2020, she says.

First up this morning is a petition calling for a review treatment of people with ME, external.

The convener welcomes:

• Health Secretary Jeane Freeman
• Anita Stewart from the Scottish government
• Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood

Image source, Getty Images/BBC

A busy Public Petitions Committee begins.

Firstly, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman is accompanied by the chief medical officer to answer questions on a petition calling for a review of ME treatment.

Then Education Secretary John Swinney will give evidence on three petitions:

• first aid training in primary schools
• use of restraint in schools
• the In Case Survivors Service Scotland

The committee papers are available here. , external

Image source, Thinkstock

Welcome to BBC Scotland's Holyrood Live coverage of the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 19 December 2019.

• 8.45 am Petitions committee

• 11.40 am General Questions

• 12.00 pm First Minister's Questions

• 1.45-5.00 pm: Stage 3 Proceedings: Referendums (Scotland) Bill

• 5.00 pm Decision Time