Referendum (Scotland) Bill Committee
Meeting date: Thursday, October 25, 2012
Official Report
259KB pdf
Work Programme
Item 4 is a preliminary discussion about our work programme. Again, I am grateful to the clerks for preparing the paper at such short notice. It outlines the main tasks that the committee will need to undertake in the coming period, sets out the timescales for some of the legislation that we will need to consider, and outlines some of the things that we need to discuss in more detail. It draws attention, at paragraph 10, to the time limits that are on us and to the fact that we need to complete the work on the Scotland Act 1998 (Modifications of Schedule 5) Order 2013—the section 30 order—and report to Parliament by Friday 30 November.
The paper asks us to consider a number of matters at the next meeting, including the number of meetings that we think will be required, the oral and written evidence that we think that we should invite, and the background information that we think it would be appropriate to request from the Scottish Parliament information centre, the clerks or other sources.
Given the timescales that we face, it would be a good starting point for the committee not to wait until next week but to agree today that we should approach the appropriate ministers and probably the Deputy First Minister and the Secretary of State for Scotland to come along to give evidence to the committee at the appropriate juncture. Because of the ministers’ busy diaries, it is important that we get that bit of work under way.
I had a chat with James Kelly before the meeting, and he rightly suggested that we might want to make the call for written evidence today. That would enable us in the short term to receive submissions, which would allow us to decide which witnesses might appear before us.
Because of the nature of the issue, academics in particular might be interested. Asking for written evidence and seeing what we get will give us a range of people who might be prepared to come along and give evidence before we reach the stage of having to agree—or otherwise—the order.
I throw that out to committee members and ask for their views. Any views on the type of people who we might ask along—and their background and nature—would be useful and would give the clerks some guidance.
I am perfectly happy with that proposal in principle. I assume that the call for evidence, whether written or oral, will make clear that we are inviting comment specifically on the order. If not, we will be avalanched by a cascade of views.
In the first instance, we should concentrate on the section 30 order. We will have a bit more time to deal with the referendum stuff later.
The next matter is to decide on the date of the next meeting. From what we have seen of the parliamentary calendar, the most intense activity around committees is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so it looks as if Thursday will be the best slot in which to hold this committee, if members are content with that.
There may be occasions, depending on our workload later on, when we might have to meet earlier than 10 o’clock in the morning to ensure that we get all the work completed in time. If members are happy with that, we will proceed on that basis. Are members agreed?
Members indicated agreement.
I thank the members of the committee for being here today, and I look forward to seeing you all next week.
Just to clarify, do we anticipate regular Thursday morning meetings for this committee?
Certainly until the end of November. There might be a wee gap then, but we might be getting early work on the referendum.
Thank you—that is helpful.
Thank you; I am grateful to you all.
Meeting closed at 10:07.