Official Report 295KB pdf
Agenda item 7 is on our work programme for the next period. I invite Fergus Cochrane to comment on paper PE/S3/08/16/6.
Back in June, the committee agreed that it would hold three external meetings as part of its inquiry. The paper invites the committee to consider the arrangements for its first external meeting, which it is proposed will be held in Duns, Berwickshire. As members will recall, the committee agreed to go south, west and north as part of its inquiry. The paper simply sets out the arrangements for the meeting on 2 December.
Bill Butler and I sit on the Justice Committee, which meets on Tuesday mornings. I request that we do what we can on the timing of the proposed meeting to take into account the transport arrangements, as I would very much like to be able to get from one meeting to the other. Perhaps the Public Petitions Committee meeting could start a bit later or some negotiation could be done to ensure that the Justice Committee had a reasonably short programme that day. However, being realistic, I think that that might be difficult as the Justice Committee is currently doing a lot. I simply make that request.
The disappointing news is that previous discussions have suggested that the time of our meeting might be brought forward rather than moved back. It is suggested that the meeting will kick off at half past 12.
In which case, members will understand that, given previous experience, the chances of the Justice Committee meeting finishing by half past 12—I see that the Justice Committee clerk is in the public gallery listening—are zero.
That is a dilemma that I have also experienced in the past. I do not know what we did wrong for our parties to put us on two committees that meet on the same day. The timing will be gruelling, so I appreciate that some members might not be able to make the meeting. That is disappointing, as I am sure that Nigel Don would have made a positive contribution to our discussions, but we recognise that some members have commitments to other parliamentary committees.
My query is on transport. Only reluctantly do I ever take my car to Edinburgh, so I would appreciate a lift to Duns and back again.
We can organise transport for members who require it. We will try to reach agreement on whether that should leave from Edinburgh or Glasgow or wherever.
The next item will be considered in private, so any members of the public who are still here are kindly requested to vacate the room. Thank you very much for your time.
Meeting continued in private until 17:28.
Previous
New Petitions (Notification)