Item in Private
Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to this joint meeting of the Justice 1 Committee and the Justice 2 Committee. I hope that you had a pleasant break over the recess and are steeled for the challenges ahead.
The purpose of the meeting is simply to consider our approach to the budget process for 2004-05. Members will see from the agenda that we have to determine whether to take two matters in private: item 2 and a related future discussion on potential witnesses.
Before we have any discussion on the appointment of an adviser, I advise that I found on reading the papers that one of the nominees for the post is well known to me. For that reason, I state publicly that I will not participate in any decision making concerning the nominations for the post of adviser or the order of preference of the nominees. However, I shall be happy to convene the meeting and leave the rest of you to bring your great collective wisdom to bear to arrive at a decision.
The first matter to determine is whether item 2 on the agenda should be considered in private. Is it agreed to take that item in private?
Members indicated agreement.
We should also deal with the second aspect of item 1 now. I ask members to agree that any discussion concerning potential witnesses for the budget process should also be taken in private. Are we agreed?
Members indicated agreement.
Meeting continued in private until 14:09.