Meeting Minutes
1st Meeting, 2021
Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Session: 6
Location: www.scottishparliament.tv
Meeting opened at: 11:19am
Meeting closed at: 12:25pm
Committee Members Attendees
Claire Baker
Colin Beattie
Gordon Macdonald
Michelle Thomson
Fiona Hyslop
Lorna Slater
Colin Smyth
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Alexander Burnett
1 Declaration of interests:
Members of the Committee were invited to declare any relevant interests. The following interests were declared—
Colin Beattie is a trustee director of the National Mining Museum of Scotland.
Claire Baker is a member of Unite the Union and the Co-operative Party and is a Scottish Labour Co-operative MSP.
Alexander Burnett is an owner and manager of properties, including agricultural, residential and commercial lettings, recreational and sporting usage and forestry. He is also a shareholder in a construction development and house-building group and a renewable energy company. He holds remunerated positions in companies related to those areas.
Jamie Halcro Johnston is a partner in the farming business of J Halcro Johnston and Sons and is the owner of a number of properties.
Fiona Hyslop was Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Fair Work and Culture from February 2020 to May 2021.
Gordon Macdonald is a member of the Historic Environment Scotland.
Lorna Slater previously worked at Orbital Marine Power Ltd and received her final payment during her time as an MSP. She is a trustee of the social enterprise the Edinburgh Remakery and is a member of Unite the Union.
Colin Smyth is a member of the GMB union and Unite the Union, the Co-operative Party, and is a Scottish Labour Co-operative MSP.
Michelle Thomson receives income from residential buy-to-let properties. She is also a shareholder in a property management company, receiving a benefit in kind in the form of life cover but no other income. As a former MP, Michelle Thomson continues in the role of ambassador for a Westminster all-party parliamentary group for fair business banking for which she receives no income.
2 Choice of Convener:
The Committee chose Claire Baker as its Convener.
3 Choice of Deputy Convener:
The Committee chose Colin Beattie as its Deputy Convener.
4 Legacy paper:
The Committee noted the Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee’s the Session 5 legacy paper.
5 Decision to take business in private:
The Committee agreed to take item 6 in private.
6 Work programme (in private):
The Committee discussed business for September and agreed that final proposals would be signed off by the Convener and Deputy Convener and circulated for agreement. The Committee considered and agreed its approach to developing a work programme and agreed to hold a business planning day in August. The Committee agreed that final arrangements would be signed off by the Convener and Deputy Convener. The Committee also agreed, in advance of the business planning day, to seek written updates on business support spend from the Scottish Government enterprise agencies, the Scottish Local Authorities Economic Development Group (SLAED) and COSLA.