Official Report 113KB pdf
As members know, Gordon Jackson is not present today because he has food poisoning. As a result, we will need to hold over the next item on the agenda, which is the draft report on the Toronto conference. I have been told that the people at the conference spoke very dense lawyer.
Did Gordon Jackson speak very dense lawyer?
Everyone did.
Not Gordon. Anyway, I suggest that you should not call one of Her Majesty's counsel in Scotland a dense lawyer, and certainly not in the Official Report.
I was referring to the language that they all speak.
I presume that the only reason why people were invited was that they could speak densely, although why anyone would want to go to Toronto is beyond me.
The oral report that I have received was that the conference was very good.
Viewed from the heights of the CN tower?
No. However, one needed a fair experience and knowledge of the subject.
It would be a surprise if that were not the case, would it not?
How many other people turn round and discover that there is a subordinate legislation committee, just like we did? Members who come on to the committee have done none of this work before in their lives. However, I am advised that the conference was not at that level.
Was it held at a specialised professional level?
From what I have heard, it was pretty specialised. However, Gordon Jackson did us proud.
Who else went along to the conference?
I did.
Good. Will we get any feedback on it?
As I said, we have a report on the conference. However, we will have to hold over discussion of it until next week.
I should pop round to Gordon's with a bowl of soup, although that will be the last thing he will want if he has food poisoning.
Is there anything else on today's agenda apart from Gordon Jackson's health?
One of the matters that we might deal with is the Tasmanian conference. Although we might receive the papers from the conference, I suspect that we will not send anyone to it.
It depends if the conference is in Tashkent.
No, Brian, you are not going to Tashkent.
I have taken a pledge not to go to any subordinate legislation conferences.
Well, a conference is being held next month in Tasmania.
It is all very exciting: Toronto and Hobart. Wow!
People in such places know about subordinate legislation. Anyway, we will not be going to Tasmania, although we will thank the organisers for their invitation, ask to see the papers and generally keep in with them, because there is always the possibility that we will go at some point—although perhaps not you, Brian.
Keeping with the T theme, I suggest that Twechar in my constituency of Strathkelvin and Bearsden is obviously a possible venue for the Scottish Parliament to host its own subordinate legislation conference—
Which would compete with Toronto and Tasmania—
And would excel those two places on every front, including the welcome, as Colin Campbell knows.
I close the meeting now, before we have any more commercials. I thank members for their attendance.
Meeting closed at 12:03.