Standards Committee, 18 Nov 2003

Meeting date: Tuesday, November 18, 2003

Official Report 67KB pdf

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Future Meetings

The next item on the agenda is future meetings. Rather than meet on 2 December, when I have a significant family commitment, I would prefer to meet next Tuesday or on Tuesday 9 December, if that is not inconvenient for members. Do members have a preference?

I cannot be here on the morning of Tuesday 9 December, but I am less important than you are.

In that case, why do we not meet next Tuesday? I understand that most of the relevant material is available for next week, although I am quite happy to be told otherwise. I would hate to become the convener and then not turn up for the next meeting. As I said, I have a long-standing family commitment on 2 December.

I have a question on the timing of meetings. I know from other committees in the past that committees that meet on Tuesday morning sometimes find problems with people who come from afar. In order to ensure a good attendance, in spite of late trains and so on, 11 o'clock might be more sensible than 10.30, when we might be twiddling our thumbs waiting for people. It does not affect me, because I am probably as near as anyone can be, but it does affect other members.

I support that suggestion. It would be helpful if the meeting were at 11 o'clock.

Is it agreeable that we meet at 11 o'clock, unless there is a heavy agenda, which we will know in advance and in which case we will leave it to the deputy convener and me to make the appropriate adjustment?

I have quite a busy diary on Tuesdays. I have a meeting at 12.30 and I have the Justice 2 Committee at 2 o'clock. On the days when we have a busy agenda, I will not get a break at all. Other members might have committees in the afternoon.

I am in the same situation.

That should be a consideration. I would rather be here in the morning than not have a break all day, because that makes it difficult to do my job by late afternoon, especially when I should be concentrating on amendments at stage 2.

We will deal with that as sympathetically as possible. If we have an indication that the meeting is likely to be long, we will make arrangements and I will get up early and get here for 10 o'clock, if I have to.

It is agreed that the next meeting will be on Tuesday at 11 o'clock, and that the meeting after that will be on 16 December at 11 o'clock.

Meeting closed at 10:35.