Procedures Committee, 21 Sep 1999
Meeting date: Tuesday, September 21, 1999
Official Report
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Non-Members (Committee Participation)
Item 9 is the participation of non-MSPs in the work of committees. We have to decide what is within our legal powers. There appeared to be nothing that we could do with the stark issue that was put before us at first, but we have been asked to consider the matter again. We cannot resolve the issue within a fortnight; the clerks should work on it and bring it back to us as part of the more substantive review before May.
There are blank looks around the room. This is the principle of finding a way for people who are not members of the Scottish Parliament to participate meaningfully in the work of certain committees. It was the view of some members that we should be able to co-opt outsiders on to committees because of their particular interests or expertise. That is not possible under the legislation. This is an attempt to involve outside people with an interest or expertise to share in a rather more satisfactory way than by bringing them along as witnesses from time to time.