Public Petitions Committee, 25 Mar 2003

Meeting date: Tuesday, March 25, 2003

Official Report 298KB pdf

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Convener's Report

The only item that remains to be dealt with is the convener's report. There is nothing to report, other than to thank members of the committee for the way in which they have conducted themselves over the past four years. It has been a rare privilege to be the committee's convener. I thank all my colleagues for making the Public Petitions Committee one of the best committees in the Parliament, in my view. I thank the clerks in particular—Steve Farrell, Joanne Clinton, Franck David and Christine Lambourne have been absolutely outstanding.

Outstanding.

The way in which they have coped with a tremendous amount of work under very trying circumstances has been utterly awe inspiring. Any success that the committee has had has been due mainly to the very hard work of the clerks. We all owe them a great vote of thanks.

I also thank the official report, in particular Diarmid Mogg, who has been with us throughout the four years. Today's meeting, at which we are saying well done to him, is the first that he has missed. The official report has been outstanding in the way in which it has reported the committee's work.

We also thank the television and sound people, who are our avenue to the outside world. We pay particular thanks to the security staff, who have been unfailingly good and positive in their work for the committee, which has involved them in dealing with the public in many ways.

Finally, I again thank all the members, who have made my job extremely enjoyable, if not easy. I thank all the advisers, including Dr Curnow, for the tremendous work that they have done on behalf of the committee. I wish all members who are standing in the election the very best and I wish those who are not standing a very successful retirement—I might be joining them in retirement in the not-too-distant future.

There is one more thing to be said. We must thank the chair. I have been on countless committees in three Parliaments and you have been one of the best chairmen I have ever encountered.

Thanks very much.

You have been courteous to all the petitioners and courteous to—and patient with—all the committee members, who have sometimes been unruly. The Public Petitions Committee has been one of the hallmarks of the Parliament. It will go down in history as the jewel of the committees.

Very well said.

I remind members that we have a meeting with the German petitions committee this afternoon at half-past 2 in the Apex hotel—there will be dinner tonight in Igg's restaurant, at half-past 7. I look forward to seeing members there. I know that Phil Gallie cannot come to the dinner, but he will be at this afternoon's meeting.

Where are we at half-past 2?

The Apex hotel, which is in the Grassmarket.

Are we having lunch at half-past 1?

Yes, we are having lunch at half-past 1. I have a Health and Community Care Committee meeting at 2 o'clock.

It was at 10 o'clock this morning.

You are joking.

No. The Health and Community Care Committee was meeting at the same time as this committee. I sent my apologies.

I had the meeting down as taking place at 2 o'clock. What happened about hepatitis C?

I do not know, because the meeting was taking place at the same time as this one.

Hepatitis C was the issue that I was worried about.

Thank you all for all your work.

I must give my apologies for this afternoon, because I have a meeting of the European and External Relations Committee.

We bring the first Public Petitions Committee to a close.

Meeting closed at 12:49.