Item 3 is to consider our approach to the financial memorandum to the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill. The paper suggests that we adopt level 1 scrutiny, which would involve seeking written evidence from the Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland, the Scottish Court Service, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and local authorities—either those that are identified in the financial memorandum or all local authorities—and then forwarding that evidence to the lead committee. Do members agree to adopt level 1 scrutiny?
Do members have a view on whether we should write to all the local authorities or only the six that are specified in the financial memorandum?
I think that we should write to them all, because there is wide variation. The thing that predicates and has driven the need for the bill is the inspector's report about the variation in practice among local authorities. It would therefore be sensible for us to invite all the local authorities to respond.
The suggestion is that we write to all local authorities. Is that agreed?
As previously agreed, we move into private session to consider our report on the financial memorandum to the Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Bill, and our report on capital investment.
Meeting continued in private until 15:16.