Official Report 196KB pdf
Item 4 is on a letter that I received from the Scottish Civic Forum. I felt that it was best to seek members' views on how to proceed. There are two issues in the letter. One relates largely to the discussion that we will have on the previous Procedures Committee's report. The other issue is a request that we participate in a participation event in November. Do members agree to participate in that event?
In that case it might be helpful if a couple of members were willing to act as link people for the event to ensure that our participation happens. Do we have any volunteers?
When will it be?
The Scottish Civic Forum is looking to hold it one evening during the week, probably a Tuesday evening. The possible dates are 18 or 25 November.
Usually such events have been held at weekends and I have never been able to go. Tuesday evening sounds good. Why do we not say that it is open to any members as long as we ensure that one or two could go along?
It is obviously open to any member, but we have to ensure that at least one or two are definitely willing to participate. I have a problem with it, because Tuesday is the day of our parliamentary group meeting.
It is an awfully long way away for any of us to make a commitment at this stage. Can we discuss it immediately after the October recess and try to get a volunteer at that time, to see who would stick their head above the parapet, for want of a better phrase?
That is fine.
We could say that in principle we are happy to participate, but we will need to wait until nearer the time to confirm which member of the committee will attend.
That is fair.
Could you ask the forum to give us notice of how it is inviting people? This might be wrong and I am sure that the forum will answer me once it has read the Official Report of the meeting, but I understand that it has been carrying out consultation and participation exercises on behalf of the Scottish Executive in relation to its publication "Putting our communities first: A Strategy for tackling Anti-social Behaviour". I understand that it arranged a meeting in Glasgow of which people got less than three days' notice. That does not demonstrate to me that the forum is encouraging people to participate in events if they are getting only two or three days' notice. Colleagues in Glasgow and people who are involved in tenants organisations and community groups have been gossiping about the short time scale. Is giving people so little notice normal practice?
I am not aware of that issue. You will have to take up the matter directly with the Scottish Civic Forum or the Scottish Executive in relation to its consultation on the antisocial behaviour bill.
Meeting continued in public until 11:27.