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Chamber and committees

Local Government and Communities Committee, 06 Feb 2008

Meeting date: Wednesday, February 6, 2008


Contents


Decisions on Taking Business in Private

Good morning and welcome to this meeting of the Local Government and Communities Committee. Item 1 on our agenda—[Interruption.] I think I have a point of procedure from Alasdair Allan.

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP):

My point of procedure relates to the letter from the convener to the First Minister, copies of which were circulated recently to committee members. My question is about the remit of the committee with regard to this item. I would like to know on whose behalf—on yours or the committee's—you asked a series of questions of the First Minister that relate not to Aberdeenshire but to Aviemore. I appreciate that the First Minister suggested that he wants to be helpful on Aviemore, but the tone and character of the questions is—I have to be honest—that of a fishing expedition, as far as I can see. The letter includes the following request:

"Please could you provide an explanation of your actions—"

relating to Aviemore—

"and whether they fall within the terms of the ministerial code."

I want to be clear. Do we have a remit to look at the Aviemore issue? On whose behalf was the letter written?

The Convener:

I wrote the letter to Alex Salmond following two witness sessions of the committee. The issues that I raised with Alex Salmond in the letter came up in our evidence sessions and in answers to parliamentary questions about Aviemore. Given that we are examining issues arising from our concerns about the planning process, the Aviemore and Aberdeenshire issues were clearly linked. I received correspondence this morning from Alex Salmond, in which he agrees to answer the questions in the letter. Frankly, I am surprised that you waited until this morning before raising your questions with me, rather than raise them last Friday, when you received a copy of the letter.

Item 1 on our agenda is to invite members to agree to take in private item 3 and item 4. Item 3 is to discuss the evidence taken from the Trump Organization and consider our approach to the draft report. Can I have agreement to take item 3 in private?

Members indicated agreement.

The Convener:

Item 4 is for the committee to consider its draft report on the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Bill. Discussion of the possible contents of the draft report on a bill is normally held in private. Can I have agreement to take item 4 in private?

Members indicated agreement.