Scottish Commission for Public Audit, 28 Jun 2007

Meeting date: Thursday, June 28, 2007

Official Report 88KB pdf

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Convener

I welcome members to the first meeting of the Scottish Commission for Public Audit in the third session of the Parliament. Before we start, I will introduce myself and the other officials. My name is Mark Brough, and I am the secretary to the commission and a member of the Finance Committee clerking team. Beside me is Rebecca Lamb, who is the assistant secretary and a member of the Audit Committee clerking team. Further to my left is Andy Munro, who is the Parliament's internal audit adviser. Part of Andy's role is to provide services to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. It is also his role to advise the commission on audit matters. I hope that over the coming years we will work successfully with members, and I look forward to that.

Item 1 on the agenda is the choice of a convener. The commission is a public body established under section 12 of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000. Schedule 3 to the act states that the commission may

"appoint one of its members to preside at its meetings."

The appointment of a convener is entirely a matter for the commission, but established practice is that the ex officio member—the convener of the Audit Committee—is not chosen as convener of the commission, because of the relationship that he has with the Auditor General for Scotland through the Audit Committee. With that in mind, I ask for nominations for the post of convener.

I understand that there have been discussions through the usual channels. I suggest that Angela Constance be appointed as convener.

Angela Constance has been nominated. Do members agree to her appointment?

Angela Constance was chosen as convener.

I ask Angela Constance to take the chair.