Official Report 305KB pdf
The second item on the agenda is for the committee to consider its annual report for 2017-18. I refer members to the draft report and invite any comments.
I have one small point. On the second page, under European Union scrutiny, the report says:
“In November and December 2017, the Committee travelled to Brussels and London”.
Was it not the committee that went to Brussels, and the convener and deputy convener who went to London?
That is correct.
Can we amend that to keep it correct?
Okay.
I welcome the report. It is very important that we continue to produce reports such as this. I welcome its content and am surprised at the amount of work that we appear to have got through. Thank you to the authors.
Of course, it is only a reflection of some of the work that we have carried out.
I, too, welcome the report. Have we highlighted the subgroups on deposit return and air pollution that we formed? I am sorry if I missed it, but I do not think that I saw that mentioned.
Have we referenced the subgroups that were formed?
We have not.
We have not noted everything. If members wish that to be noted, we can add it.
I think that that would be helpful. If nothing else, it shows that there is a wide range and big body of work and that subgroups are often useful, in order to work effectively. Although they were not formal committee arrangements, they were subgroups.
Are we agreed on that point?
Members indicated agreement.
We will have to double-check the timing of when the subgroups sat, but subject to that being during the past year, we can incorporate them.
I have a small query on the graphics. There appears to be a discrepancy between the two graphics about the number of people who gave evidence. Can we also double-check those numbers?
That said, and as nobody else has any observations, is the committee content to sign off the report, subject to those checks and appropriate changes being made, and can that be left to me, as convener, to finalise?
Members indicated agreement.
At its next meeting, on 29 May, the committee will consider numerous statutory instruments and take evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform on community empowerment and environmental authorisations instruments. The committee will also consider an approach paper on the climate change bill.
10:25 Meeting continued in private until 11:42.