Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee, 24 Nov 1999

Meeting date: Wednesday, November 24, 1999

Official Report 244KB pdf

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Timetable

There are one or two items on the agenda to which I must draw your attention. The timetable for the committee's future business is on-going. I do not think that there need be any major changes to that. One issue that I would like to draw to the committee's attention relates to the drugs work that we have been engaged in—the informal briefings that we have been having.

We recommend that next week's agenda also contains the planning of future business around the drugs inquiry. That will include two papers from the clerk, which will concern the appointment of the adviser for the drugs inquiry and the timetabling of future business. As we will probably be talking about individuals, it has been recommended that we take that very short session in private, at the end. That must be brought to the committee's attention. I reassure everyone that that is necessary only because we are talking about named individuals. Nothing in the drugs inquiry will be hidden from the public view, in case any journalist from The Scotsman suspects a hidden agenda. Do members have any other points that they would like to raise?

At the meeting of the conveners liaison group yesterday, it was suggested that, after Christmas, four half-days will be given over to individual committees if they want to have a debate on a report or anything. The committee might want to consider bidding for one of those half-days between January and May, for a debate on one of the issues that we are discussing. I am not saying that we should have a report published by that time, but we could perhaps ask for a debate on any of the three issues that we are examining.

After the recess? A parliamentary debate?

Yes. That gives the committee something else to think about before next week's meeting. Debating that will keep us focused for a wee while. I thank committee members for their forbearance during what has been a substantial meeting. I also thank those who gave evidence. It was extremely stimulating and very helpful in our consideration.

Meeting closed at 12:35.