Education Committee, 11 Jun 2003

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 11, 2003

Official Report 98KB pdf

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Interests

I welcome colleagues most warmly to this morning's meeting. It is alleged that I am the oldest committee member, and I am not prepared to look at anyone else's birth certificate. I hope that my duty will take only a few seconds.

As we are in public session, I would be most grateful if everyone could ensure that all mobile telephones and pagers are turned off. We have received apologies from Rosemary Byrne. I understand that Wendy Alexander is coming. Before she can participate, she will have to declare whether she has any interests.

I now invite each member to declare any relevant interests that they have entered in the Parliament's register of interests. For myself, I am chairman of the support group of Hope and Homes for Children. However, as the charity operates overseas, I do not think that it has any direct bearing on children in Scotland. I just wanted to mention it in passing.

I have no registrable interests to declare, other than that my wife is a teacher and a member of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association.

I have no interests to declare.

I have a legal consultancy with Ross Harper Solicitors in Glasgow, which is unlikely to impinge on the committee's work. My wife is also a teacher and is a member of the Educational Institute of Scotland.

I am a member of the National Union of Journalists, but I do not think that that interest is declarable in this respect.

I do not think that I have any registrable interests to declare.

I have no registrable interests to declare, other than that I am a member of the Transport and General Workers Union, which contributed £500 towards my election campaign. I am also a member of the Association of University Teachers, but that does not really impinge on the committee's work.

Thank you very much indeed. That was very helpful.