Good afternoon. As everybody is settled, I welcome back to the Health Committee the three witnesses—Professor Tony Wildsmith, Dr Mairi Scott and Professor Graham Teasdale—to give further evidence. We will stick to 30 minutes per panel of witnesses today. Mike Rumbles will begin the questions to the witnesses.
Do we not do item 1 on the agenda first?
Yes, you are right. I have missed a brief item.
I have a general point to make. I genuinely feel that we should try to take as much of our business as we can in public. I appreciate that when we are considering a draft report, we are on a different plane, in that the draft could be misconstrued by people outside the committee and so there is an argument for discussing draft reports in private. However, all that you are asking us to do is to consider what our main themes are likely to be, and, as they are perfectly obvious to anybody who has been watching our evidence-taking sessions, it does not serve much purpose to go into private.
Are you moving that item 3 not be held in private?
I would rather that we held it in public. That is the default position of the standing orders and therefore of the Parliament.
There is a proposal that item 3 be held in public, not in private. Is anybody opposed to what Mike Rumbles suggests?
No.
It looks like you have won this one, Mike.
Thank you, convener.
That means that item 3 will be held in public and not in private.