Public Petitions Committee
Meeting date: Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Official Report
408KB pdf
Decision on Taking Business in Private
Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the 20th and final meeting in 2010 of the Public Petitions Committee.
We said in our previous meeting, on 7 December, that that would be our final meeting this year but, as members will be aware, several committee members and witnesses were unable to attend that meeting due to the adverse weather and the three members who attended agreed to defer consideration of the two petitions that are before us today.
There are apologies from our convener, Rhona Brankin, which is why I am convening the meeting. We have no other apologies.
Please ensure that all mobile phones are switched off.
Agenda item 1 is to decide whether to take in private agenda item 3, under which the committee will consider current petition PE1073, on Catholics in Scottish prisons. I say to those who follow our proceedings that we take seriously the question whether to meet in private. It has been the practice that such issues are considered in private to allow open discussion by members. However, we will record our decisions in the minutes of the meeting.
I would like to clarify something. The report that we will consider under item 3 is a draft report. The current practice is that committees consider draft reports in private prior to their becoming public. After the committee has considered the draft report, it will be released for the general public.
That is what I understand.
If the committee agrees to publish the report, we will effectively treat the paper that will be discussed under item 3 as a draft report.
Do members agree to take item 3 in private?
Members indicated agreement.