Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Official Report 623KB pdf

---

Annual Report 2018-19

Item 2 is consideration of the committee’s draft annual report for 2018-19. Members have had a good look at the draft; are there any comments?

This is a very minor issue, and I hope that I am not speaking out of turn on it. I think that Finlay Carson, who is sitting next to me, agrees with me. We are not keen on the colour and intensity of the background for the team photograph.

My copy is in black and white. Which photograph are you talking about?

It is on page 1—

Okay. We can adjust that.

I am not going to direct you to do that—

Is it not getting your skin tone right?

It is just that the background is very intense and of a colour that is not terribly friendly to figures.

Okay. We will adjust that.

It looks a bit like “Star Trek”.

Is that not quite cool?

I have a comment. I think that it is important that we consider the gender breakdown of the people who have given evidence to the committee. There is a drive for 50:50 parity and we are improving, year on year, but it is important to be up front about where we are.

I agree. We reported on the matter last year, and we contacted witnesses so that we could incorporate their feedback on the experience of giving evidence and how meetings were run. It would be good to report on the gender breakdown again this year.

Yes. If there are no more comments, is the committee content for me to sign off on the final version of the report, with the adjustments that we have just talked about?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you. That concludes our business in public. The next meeting will take place on 15 May—tomorrow. We will take evidence via videolink from the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

11:42 Meeting continued in private until 12:05.