[The Convener opened the meeting at 10:10]
I welcome the press, the public and our witnesses to today's meeting. I understand that it is not the witnesses' fault that they have been a bit delayed in getting here and thank them for coming. I remind people to turn off pagers and mobile phones. Fergus Ewing will be late. Margo MacDonald will attend for discussion of the Holyrood report. As a mark of sympathy in Europe, following the tragic events in Beslan, Russia, Government buildings across the United Kingdom will observe one minute's silence at 11 am today. It is appropriate that we do the same, so I ask that at 11 o'clock we stand to remember all those who died in Beslan.