Public Petitions Committee, 19 Jun 2001

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 19, 2001

Official Report 319KB pdf

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Convener's Report

At the last minute, we have received an invitation to take part in a members' workshop on mainstreaming equality in the parliamentary committees, which will take place tomorrow between 5.30 pm and 7.30 pm. I cannot attend the workshop, as I will not be in Edinburgh. Helen Eadie cannot go either, as she has a prior commitment. Is anyone available to attend the workshop?

I am going on behalf of the Health and Community Care Committee.

Could you represent the Public Petitions Committee as well?

Yes, absolutely. I will provide you with a wee written report over the recess.

That would be smashing.

The second matter I want to mention is in relation to the Berlin visit. The conveners liaison group granted approval for a delegation to consist of the convener and three other members—one from the SNP, one from the Lib Dems and one from the Conservatives. The SNP has not yet indicated who its member might be. There is only one Lib Dem and one Conservative on the committee, so it is obvious whom those parties will send. We need a nomination from the SNP.

What visit is this?

The visit to the petitions committee in Berlin. It is up to the SNP group to nominate a delegate.

The visit will take place at the same time as the SNP conference, will it not?

It will take place between 24 and 26 September, so it will be after the SNP conference.

Brilliant.

The application will be considered by the Parliamentary Bureau this afternoon, but it is hoped that the visit will be given the go-ahead. The clerk will keep members informed. If approval is granted, we will make the necessary arrangements during the recess.

Did you say that the visit will take place on 22 September?

Between 24 and 26 September.

I shall have to confer with Winnie Ewing. I might have to go to the SNP conference.

I am informed that the SNP conference is being held in the preceding week.

The efficiency is stunning.

It is down to the clerks, not me.

Our first meeting after the summer recess is likely to be on Tuesday 11 September. The clerk will confirm that in due course.

There is to be a restructuring of our clerking team, which means that we will lose two members of staff. Jane Sutherland, who has been with us since the beginning and has been outstanding in helping the committee to operate, has been relocated to the business team, so this is her last meeting. On behalf of the committee, I thank her for the assistance that she has provided to members. Diane Barr, who has also been involved with the Public Petitions Committee, is also leaving us. I thank Diane for the excellent contribution that she has made to the committee. I welcome Ruth Cooper, who is new to our clerking team and is attending her first meeting today. I assure her that we do not always have such a full agenda.

Meeting closed at 12:49.