Justice and Home Affairs Committee, 27 Sep 2000

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 27, 2000

Official Report 216KB pdf

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Scottish Parliament Justice and Home Affairs Committee Wednesday 27 September 2000 (Morning)

[The Convener opened the meeting at 09:34]

I bring the meeting to order.

I have received no apologies for absence but Christine Grahame and Lyndsay McIntosh have submitted apologies for lateness. They are held up elsewhere, but they will get here as quickly as possible. Mike Watson, Mike Rumbles and Alex Fergusson may join us for item 3 of the agenda, but I have no idea whether they intend to speak.

I remind members to ensure that all mobile phones are switched off, so that there is no repeat of last week's incident.

I point out to members that the consultation on the MacLean committee report on serious violent and sexual offenders ends on 29 September, which is in two days. We took the view that, because the consultation took place over the summer recess, it was not reasonable for the committee to input into it, even in the limited way in which we managed to respond to some of the other consultations. A white paper is due out early next year, when the committee will be able to consider the proposals in more detail. That may be the most useful input that we can make, in so far as that consultation is concerned.

I also point out to those members who have yet to realise it that the committee's report on the Carbeth hutters will be debated in Parliament on the afternoon of 4 October. The debate will be on a motion in the name of the convener of the Justice and Home Affairs Committee, to note the contents and recommendations of the report. I want to check that members are happy for such a motion to be lodged on behalf of the committee. Given that it was a committee report, I do not suppose that members have any objection to that approach.

Members indicated agreement.

What is the motion?

It asks the Parliament to note the contents and recommendations of the report—it is a take-note motion.

Members who had a particular interest in the Carbeth hutters will doubtless wish to note the date in their diaries, so that they can indicate their wish to speak in this committee debate.

Unfortunately, the date of the debate clashes with the Tory party conference in Bournemouth. I was a minority element in the report and I deeply regret that I will not be present for the debate.

We will be able to ensure that your dissenting voice is acknowledged, and I am sure that you will be able to arrange an alternative Tory spokesperson on the day.

On a more controversial note, there will be no tea and coffee today. Although we are in the chamber and have been accustomed to having tea and coffee when meeting here, there is a problem with the agenda, as there is no natural break at an appropriate time for tea and coffee. We would have had to break very early or very late and that did not seem appropriate.

I want to say a few personal words. Most members will realise by now that there have been some changes in personnel at the top of the Scottish National Party, as a result of which my duties are changing. As a consequence, I will no longer convene the Justice and Home Affairs Committee after today. I want to put on the record how much I have enjoyed the work of the committee over the past year as well as enjoying the work that I have done with all members of the committee. We made an extremely good team, got through a colossal amount of work, for which everyone should be commended, and retained a good atmosphere and humour.

I am sorry to have to say goodbye in this fashion; however, nothing stays the same. Next week you will have a new member as well as a new convener, and I am sure that you will afford your new convener the same good humour and courtesy that you have afforded me. Equally, I am absolutely certain that the new convener will enjoy working on the Justice and Home Affairs Committee as much as I have done.

I want to thank the clerking team, which has been magnificent over the past year. We complain about the work load, but we have a tendency to forget that the work load of the staff is every bit as heavy. They have retained as much good humour as members of the committee have done. I want to thank them personally for all the help and support that they have given the committee and me over the past year.

At the end of item 2, I will hand over to the deputy convener, who will convene the remainder of the meeting. I am afraid that I have other things that I must do this morning. At that point I will say my farewells. No doubt I will see members again, only in a different capacity.

We will move on to item 1. I propose to take in private item 7 on today's agenda, which is consideration of evidence on the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill. I also propose that the committee should take in private a draft report on that bill next week. Are members agreed?

Members indicated agreement.