Item 2 is consideration of whether to appoint a reporter. Members will have read the paper that invites the committee to consider appointing Richard Simpson as a reporter to visit Oldham, where a number of successful initiatives have been undertaken, with dramatic results, to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies. I ask Richard Simpson to comment before I invite other members to speak.
The committee’s papers are useful. As they say, Oldham is not the only area in which improvements have been made, but it took early action. I happen to be going down to the Liverpool area on the first weekend in February, so I thought that I would take the opportunity to go to Oldham. Doing that in a personal capacity would be one thing but, if the committee felt that it was appropriate for me to go as a reporter, that might be worth while. That would allow formal notes to be sent to the committee about what was done in Oldham, how that was done, whether it was of benefit and whether the situation has been sustained—it is all very well to achieve something, but the question is whether that can be sustained and carried forward.
Do other members have comments?
If Dr Simpson is prepared to be a reporter, I think that the committee welcomes that.
The visit will be at no cost to the committee, because I am travelling to the area anyway. That saves the Parliament a little money.
Are we content with the proposal?
I thank members for their attendance, participation and patience.