Agenda item 8 is our draft work programme, which outlines the committee's upcoming work until the summer recess. Do members have any comments? Is the programme too onerous? Does it strike a balance between the various bills and statutory instruments that we will need to consider?
It is probably unavoidable that we will face the usual splurge of Scottish statutory instruments in June. As there is no way round that, I suppose that I agree to the draft work programme. Our timetable is very much dictated by when the Executive introduces legislation.
We talked to the Executive about that and it is trying to timetable such things a little better. We can keep making the point, but you are right that we expect a high volume of SSIs in June.
I want to make a point about our inquiry. The draft work programme refers to the need to consider a draft report for phase 1 of our inquiry and to discuss the terms of reference and the planning for phase 2 of the inquiry. Should we set aside time at a committee meeting or hold an away day before the start of phase 2 of the inquiry to discuss the direction that we should take after phase 1? It would be useful for us all to take stock at that point to decide what we should do.
That is a good point. Our work programme indicates that the phase 1 report will be published towards the end of June. A general call for evidence for phase 2 of the inquiry will then be issued. Would it be best for us to have an away day before the summer recess or before we reconvene after the summer?
It would be best for the away day to be held in the gap between our agreeing the final report on phase 1 of the inquiry and our issuing a call for evidence for phase 2.
Would mid-June be appropriate?
The work programme indicates that the phase 1 report will be published on 21 June. That is hardly mid-June.
Perhaps the away day should be held more towards the end of June.
I suggest that we leave it until after the recess, when it will serve two purposes. First, it will refresh our memories of the evidence that we took during phase 1. We will also have had time over the summer to consider the contents of the report. Secondly, the clerks, legal advisers and others will have had an opportunity to consider in depth which of the issues raised in the report we want to investigate and the approach that we should take. Holding an away day after the summer would also allow us to look at what might be in our work programme during the three to six months after the recess and to slot in and plan work more effectively.
I agree with you generally. However, Stewart Maxwell has raised the issue of how detailed our general call for evidence for phase 2 can be when we have not discussed the matter. That is a good point. Perhaps we should spend half a day on the phase 1 report around the time that it is published, as we will have agreed the report by then. We could spend another half day on it later.
If we meet on 28 June to deal with SSIs in the wash-up, we could set aside some time to discuss the phase 1 report. I know that members may not be keen to have such a discussion at the end of the parliamentary term, but when else can we have it?
That is not my concern. However, we are expecting a high volume of work throughout June. I suspect that on 28 June we will be dealing with normal business—SSIs and Executive responses—and will be left with little time to discuss effectively what is a major piece of work.
We will circulate a list of Mondays and Fridays on which a discussion of the phase 1 report could take place. In the past, we have found that Mondays are more convenient than Fridays.
We will try to arrange a half day around the end of June on which we can go through the report together, before we issue the call for evidence for phase 2. That would be useful. Is that agreed?
There are no further points on the draft work programme.
Meeting closed at 11:03.