Rural Affairs Committee, 08 Dec 2000

Meeting date: Friday, December 8, 2000

Official Report 231KB pdf

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Scottish Parliament Rural Affairs Committee Friday 8 December 2000 (Afternoon)

[The Convener opened the meeting at 13:31]

We have reached the appointed hour, ladies and gentlemen. The committee is delighted to be in Dumfries for the final day of the first wave of evidence sessions on the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill. We are here because the committee felt it important to take at least one day's evidence in an area that the bill might affect. After the committee made that decision, Elaine Murray was especially keen for us to visit her constituency.

We begin by taking apologies from committee members John Munro, Duncan Hamilton and Des McNulty. We believe that Cathy Peattie had intended to be present, but has been tied up by other business, so she has been added to the list of apologies. In addition to the committee members, we have as our guest David Mundell, a member of the Scottish Parliament. He is not a member of the committee but is entitled to sit in on any committee as a member of the Parliament. It has been the committee's tradition that visiting members are welcome to take part in proceedings.