Agenda item 3 is to agree to discuss a revised draft stage 1 report on the International Criminal Court (Scotland) Bill in private at our next meeting. Is that agreed?
We will move into private session for agenda item 4.
Before we go into private session, I want to ask why we are in committee room 4. The Social Justice Committee is meeting in private, yet it is in the chamber. I spoke to a clerk who said that committees must be rotated around committee rooms and that we all must take our turn at the rotten venues, but surely the rotation should be overridden by the importance of the work that a committee is doing and by the need to ensure the convenience of the witnesses whom we invite.
As far as I know, we must rotate around committee rooms. We take our turn at all the venues, because we are pushed for accommodation. Sometimes, although we have a venue and a date, we do not know what evidence we will take. We would probably have to ask another committee to exchange rooms, which might not always be agreeable to the other committee.
Far be it from me to tell the Parliamentary Bureau how to run its show. I just want a confirmation at the start of each week that accommodation is suitable.
I ask that the convener simply raise the issue at the next meeting of the conveners group. We do not want to cause war between committees. Sometimes the system will work for us, but sometimes we may be in a room that would be more appropriate for another committee that is taking important evidence. Are premises being used sensibly? Perhaps that is how the issue could be raised. It would have been useful to have had today's evidence on camera, as that would have provided footage for those outside. The situation that we faced must be faced by all committees occasionally. Perhaps that should be part of the considerations in choosing a venue.
Absolutely.
The only member of the press who was at our meeting was the representative from the Press Association, and he is fighting for space during the general election. The quality of the evidence that we took today was excellent.
I am willing to raise the issue. I forgot that committee room 4 did not give us a television broadcast. The witnesses came here willing to give evidence in public, and we missed an opportunity. I will raise the issue. I am not sure where we will get with it, but I will report back. Agenda item 4 is discussion of our draft stage 1 report on the International Criminal Court (Scotland) Bill.
Meeting continued in private until 13:12.
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