Item 6 is consideration of a paper from the Procedures Committee relating to its inquiry on the application of the consultative steering group principles in the Scottish Parliament. We have been asked whether we want to make any submission to the inquiry. What do members think?
The inquiries that we have undertaken and the procedures that we have set in place for members—the code of conduct—are examples of how we have tried to implement some of the CSG principles. The principles that are relevant to us include integrity, openness and accountability. We should make a submission outlining our procedures and how we came to our decisions. On a number of issues, our initial view was completely contrary to the view that we ended up holding. That is partly because of the serious way in which the committee has addressed those issues.
I agree with Patricia Ferguson that we should make a submission to the Procedures Committee's inquiry. There are matters that are worthy of highlighting, not least the inquiries and procedures that we have set up with regard to members' conduct. I think that the Procedures Committee will find our evidence interesting. We have tried hard to adhere to the CSG principles and should not be shy about saying so.
We should submit a short, effective statement rather than a book. That should be quite easily realisable.
I have just changed what I have written down from "report" to "short, effective statement".
I could not agree more. It is essential that we take part in the exercise, but let us not write the book on it.
As a member of the Procedures Committee, I applaud and thank Lord James for his sensible suggestion.
I think that it is agreed that we will produce a short, effective statement.
We will leave the book until such time as one of us is no longer a member of the Standards Committee.
It could form part of Tricia Marwick's memoirs.
Our final item of business is consideration of a report from the standards adviser. As agreed at the beginning of the meeting, we will now move into private session. I was about to ask members of the public and the press to leave the meeting, but in their absence, I will ask official report and broadcasting staff to leave.
Meeting continued in private until 11:27.
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