Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Official Report 313KB pdf

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Good morning, everybody, and welcome to the first meeting in 2016 of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee. I am an MSP for South Scotland. As the oldest member of the committee—or, as I prefer to call it, the most senior member of the committee—I have the pleasure of convening the meeting for the first three items of business. I welcome all members to their new roles.

This new committee has an incredible responsibility and a precious opportunity in relation to climate change to scrutinise and support the step change that is needed at all levels of society if we are to protect our planet and communities and develop a new quality of life for everyone in Scotland and across the world for today and tomorrow. Our responsibilities as custodians of Scotland’s magnificent environment range across land, sea and air. Helping to guide sustainable development is a complex challenge that I am sure we will all rise to. Our Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 will bring much significant secondary legislation to our committee and enable people in rural and urban Scotland greater opportunities to better control their own destiny. I very much look forward to working with everyone in a productive and effective manner.

Before we move to the first item on the agenda, I remind everyone present to please switch off mobile phones et cetera, as they may affect the broadcasting system. However, you may notice some committee members consulting tablets rather than using paper during the meeting because we provide meeting papers electronically. As the committee deals with climate change and the environment, I hope that members will consult their tablets; that is a shift for me, but there we go.

It is important to note that we have received apologies from Alexander Burnett MSP.

The first item on the committee’s agenda is to consider whether to take item 5, on the development of the work programme, in private. Do members agree to do so?

Members indicated agreement.