Local Government and Regeneration Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Official Report 416KB pdf

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European Union Issues

The next item of business is consideration of a response to correspondence that we have received from the European and External Relations Committee and the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee on EU issues. We have a draft response before us to consider. Members will see that I propose that the committee respond to both pieces of correspondence jointly, as the subject matter of the requests is linked.

The draft response has been considered and endorsed by our EU reporter, Stuart McMillan, who unfortunately cannot be here today. Annex A to the paper before us is a response to the request from the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee on its review of standing orders relating to proposed EU legislation. It sets out the committee’s experience to date on that issue.

Annex B sets out our reply to the European and External Relations Committee on our EU strategy and engagement in 2013. The response sets out the work that the committee has undertaken to scrutinise EU issues over the past 12 months. Do members wish to comment on either of the responses?

I draw the committee’s attention to my potential conflict of interest as the convener of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee were I to participate in the discussion of a letter to me in that role. I therefore make it formal that I shall take no part in any such discussion.

Thank you. As there are no further comments, do we agree to send the letter and the attached responses to the conveners of the European and External Relations Committee and the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee?

Members indicated agreement.

11:09 Meeting continued in private until 11:21.