Rural Affairs and Environment Committee, 08 Oct 2008
Meeting date: Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Official Report
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Scottish Parliament Rural Affairs and Environment Committee Wednesday 8 October 2008
[The Convener opened the meeting at 10:03]
I welcome everyone to today's meeting of the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee. Before we start the substantive part of proceedings, I remind everyone to switch off their mobile phones and to put their BlackBerrys et cetera into flight mode so that they do not interfere with the sound system.
The main purpose of the meeting is to take evidence on the budget process, but we will also take evidence on rural housing from Shelter, consider a petition and examine what the Crown Estate commissioners did in Scotland last year.
I have received apologies from Karen Gillon, who will be a long-term absentee from the committee as she has just had a little girl. Rhoda Grant, who is Labour's substitute member on the committee, will be a long-term substitute—I am not sure that we have a term for that. For the record, can you confirm that you are attending as a substitute?
Yes, I am.