Item 2 is for me to invite the committee to agree to discuss agenda items 6 and 7—because of their nature—in private.
The Procedures Committee hears rumblings from some of the great and the good who think that committees go into private session too often. I am not opposing the suggestion that we discuss the items in private, but there is a general issue that must be given a bit of thought at some time.
I take that point on board. The clerks will confirm that from time to time when they have suggested that certain items should be discussed in private, I have said that that was not necessary. There is a general presumption that what we do will be fully open and in the public domain. However, issues such as the two on today's agenda, which are concerned with housekeeping and the framework of an inquiry, have traditionally been dealt with—in this committee and others—in private. There is no intention to hide anything; the outcome of the deliberations will be very much in the public domain as the issues progress.
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