Health and Community Care Committee, 08 Nov 2000
Meeting date: Wednesday, November 8, 2000
Official Report
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Scottish Parliament Health and Community Care Committee Wednesday 8 November 2000 (Morning)
[The Convener opened the meeting at 10:00]
Good morning and welcome to today's meeting of the Health and Community Care Committee. Looking round the table, I see a few bleary-eyed people who must have stayed up last night in the mistaken belief that they would see the result of the American election. As somebody said earlier, we probably stayed up on the wrong night. I hope that we can keep everyone awake this morning.
Before we begin this morning's business, we have two duties to perform. The first is to welcome our three new members: Nicola Sturgeon and Shona Robison of the SNP and Frank McAveety of the Labour party. I am sure that you will all make a good contribution to the work of the committee. We are quite a good working team and have had a successful year and a half. I am sure that you will add to that success.
Before we go any further, I have to ask whether any of you have any relevant declarations of interest to make, such as directorships that might be related to aspects of health and community care. Do you have any such interests?
Members indicated disagreement.
I take this opportunity to put on record my congratulations to our former deputy convener, Malcolm Chisholm, on his elevation to his new post of Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care. We all valued Malcolm's contribution as a member of the committee and as a colleague, and I am sure that he will do a good job in his new post.
On a sad note, Malcolm was due to answer questions at the committee this morning, but he cannot be with us today because of a family bereavement—his mother's death. I am sure that I speak on behalf of all colleagues in sending our best wishes and thoughts to Malcolm. The Minister for Health and Community Care has changed her arrangements to join us this morning, and we shall be speaking to her in a moment.