Official Report 234KB pdf
Item 5 is on the European parliamentary programme. This item was raised by the Parliamentary Bureau, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and the conveners liaison group, which believe that it would be useful for members of all committees to have a better idea of how the remit of their committee fits into the European parliamentary context.
In principle, the answer must be yes, given the number of statutory instruments that come to the committee relating to European legislation. The visit would help us to understand how the European Parliament operates.
A number of members will have been to the European Parliament on other occasions—I have been both with my party and with the European Committee. I recommend that whoever goes on the visit should not have been before. The visit will open up the committee's European remit, which is important. It does not matter from which angle one sees the European Parliament as, once one has seen it, one can understand how it works.
Are there any other comments? Can we have a nomination? I am not going to nominate myself.
I propose that you attend, as the committee convener.
I am happy to accept. Would any other members wish to attend?
I nominate Margaret Jamieson, in case we can get a second place.
I second the nomination of Margaret Jamieson.
I will put forward my name and that of Margaret Jamieson. A number of places were available for members, rather than for conveners, so that more cross-cutting consideration of the European Parliament can take place and members can feed back to their committees.