Boy, seven, wins praise from Sturgeon for taking bottle petition to Parliament

Callum Isted will be the youngest petitioner to ever appear before the Scottish Parliament next week.

The youngster wants plastic water bottles used in schools replaced with reusable containers (PA)

Nicola Sturgeon has commended a seven-year-old schoolboy who is set to become the youngest person ever to bring a petition before MSPs at Holyrood.

Callum Isted, from Livingston, West Lothian, wants to see the Scottish Government replace the disposable bottles of water given to primary school pupils with their lunches with a “sustainable, reusable, metal bottle”.

The First Minister described the idea as a “really laudable aim and ambition” – and pledged she would try to speak to the youngster.

Callum will make his case when he speaks to MSPs on Holyrood’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee next week.

Committee convener Jackson Carlaw highlighted the youngster’s efforts ahead of that meeting as conveners from all the Scottish Parliament committees questioned Ms Sturgeon.

Mr Carlaw told the First Minister: “Next week the Parliament is going to welcome its youngest ever petitioner to the Parliament.”

He said Callum had set up a petition to “provide every primary school child in Scotland with a reusable water bottle”.

Speaking about the school boy, Mr Carlaw told the First Minister: “He has been very active in his own schools… and he is now looking in his petition to find a means by which this can rolled out to school children across all of Scotland.

“I am sure he would be delighted to hear you commend him on his initiative.”

Ms Sturgeon said: “I would commend Callum. Seven years old, the youngest petitioner ever. Well done to him.”

She said she will try to “catch a word” with the youngster to “learn more about his efforts to get a reusable water bottle to every young person”.