Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Official Report 461KB pdf

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Annual Report

Item 4 is consideration of the draft annual report, which covers the work of the committee during the parliamentary year between 12 May 2016 and 11 May 2017. I would like to consider the report page by page. Are there any comments on page 1?

I have some general comments. I have passed to the clerks the details of some minor typographical points, which I will not discuss in detail now. However, in paragraph 2—

That is on page 2.

I beg your pardon.

We are on page 1.

Thank you, convener. We are now one-all.

Mr Stevenson, I am not keeping score. Anything on page 2?

At paragraph 2, I wonder whether it might be useful to add before the sentence

“All meetings were held in Edinburgh”

that the agenda for all meetings, including details of private business, is published on the Parliament’s website. The purpose of doing that is to make it clear that, while we do meet in private from time to time, we make public the matters that we discuss in private so that we can be held to account for them.

Okay. Is there anything on page 3?

Someone’s space bar seems not to be working. There are quite a few odd typographical errors.

They will all be picked up in the proofreading. Is there anything on page 4?

Members: No.

Page 5?

At the end of paragraph 12, it says that

“the bridge was due to open in May 2017, six months later than originally planned.”

In light of what the cabinet secretary actually said to Parliament on 8 June 2016, perhaps we should consider whether our report should say that the bridge was due to open in May 2017, which is in line with the contractual date, but which is six months later than previously anticipated.

That is a factual representation of the situation. Is there anything else on page 5?

Members: No.

Is there anything on pages 6 or 7? Page 7 has a very nice picture of Richard Lyle and John Mason.

Is that really necessary?

It is a good picture and we will move straight on.

I have to say that Mr Mason and I had a very enjoyable walk through the Queen Street tunnel. That was an exciting project and it was exciting to be able to see it.

We are now on page 8.

I am checking whether something is said about this later in the report, but I have triple-checked and I do not think so. There is a lot in the report about certain transport issues but it is my impression that it does not give the flavour of the broad range of transport issues that the committee covers, such as ferries, electric vehicles and so on. I feel that the report focuses specifically on the bridge and rail services and very little else.

We can certainly add to the report to make sure that it gives a flavour of all the areas of transport that we are involved in.

Might it be helpful to include the committee’s areas of responsibility at the beginning of the report?

That would be useful.

While we are on that point, I cannot see a section on the petitions that we have dealt with.

That is on page 11.

Yes, page 11.

Yes, there is a short section on petitions.

There is nothing to say what we have done with them.

We can expand that.

It would be helpful for the public to know.

We will expand that to show what we have done with the petitions.

As members have no points on pages 9, 10 and 11, we are now on page 12.

The report has been well put together, and I appreciate that it is just a short summary, but I have two issues to mention with regard to equalities. First, the committee is looking at the public transport aspects of the Queensferry crossing because we know that public transport addresses a number of equalities aspects. Secondly, in relation to crofting, we are specifically looking at the entry and the retention of young people.

The point about public transport is interesting. I think that it would probably fit more neatly into the section on the Queensferry crossing, but we can certainly refer to that. We can also refer to the fact that we are looking at new entrants into crofting.

The clerks advise me that both those points fall outwith the technical definition of equalities, but we will fit them into the report in the appropriate places.

I bow to the clerks, but not everyone has a motor car and the age, poverty and mobility aspects of equalities are addressed by public transport.

Perhaps I can follow that up with the clerks.

Yes, indeed. Thank you.

One or two suggestions have been made about the report. If members are happy, I will take them up with the clerks and make sure that they are included in the report, which will then be published, subject to those changes. They are not contentious and the report will not need to come back to the committee, if members are happy with that. Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

That concludes the public part of the meeting.

11:26 Meeting continued in private until 11:38.