Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee, 29 Sep 1999
Meeting date: Wednesday, September 29, 1999
Official Report
195KB pdf
Action Points
I am sorry that I was so draconian about bringing that discussion to a conclusion, but it was necessary to ensure that we get through the rest of our agenda.
We now move to item 3. Paper HS/99/4/2 sets out the action points that were agreed at our previous meeting. I will work through it. Members should indicate whether they wish to raise other issues. The drugs paper is on today's agenda, so I will come back to that later.
I understand that the committee of conveners met yesterday to discuss public meetings outside Edinburgh. Perhaps John could tell us about that.
It was explained that the travel funding available—which amounts to £170,000—while not enough for a whole year, is likely to be more than adequate for the remaining five months of this year. It is recommended that any committee that wishes to travel should now put in bids to the conveners liaison group and to the Parliamentary Bureau, which hopes to consider them favourably.
Can I make a suggestion? We had this seating arrangement today because the SCVO was coming to speak to us. Perhaps John could now move round, so that we can see him.
I feel nervous about having John behind me anyway, given all his political experience.
As I understand it, we need to start planning the meetings that we intend to hold outside Edinburgh. That means that we must push on with finalising the details of our work programme. We will return to that at item 5 on the agenda, but I wanted to let the committee know that the matter is being pursued.
At some point today, we need to talk also about how to pursue the housing issues. I will let John McAllion get his breath and then ask for a short update. I know that many meetings on housing are planned, but it is a key priority and we want to keep moving on.
I want to make one final point on this agenda item. We can pick up on all the issues about our draft programme of work and how to manage our work load under the final agenda item.
Two points arose from our last meeting, attended by the Minister for Communities. First, I want to inform the committee that I have written to the minister—although I have not yet received a reply—to ask her to ensure that committee members are informed of any public announcements on issues related to the work of the committee and to ensure that we receive a copy of the appropriate paperwork, preferably in advance, but at latest at the same time.
Secondly, the minister indicated fairly strongly that her understanding, whether from her officials or not, was that she was required to provide papers to the committee only 24 hours in advance of a meeting. I have checked the matter out and that was not the case. Our clerks were quite clear about the need to get the papers and were very co-operative in trying to get them to us. I will ask the minister to withdraw the comments that she made at the previous meeting, because we feel that they were inappropriate, given the support that we get on this committee.
A lot of our work will be dealt with under the agenda item on the draft timetable. Am I missing anything out?
The paper on objective 3 is not on the agenda. We need to decide when that will be discussed.
That will come up under the item on the draft timetable. The clerk has brought that to our attention.
We were told in the e-mail that accompanied the objective 3 document that that issue will be on the agenda for 6 October.
Does that give us enough time to get back to the European Committee?
That is the date the clerk recommended.
We will consider the paper next week then. I am glad, because it will take me until then to read it.
We can return to that specific point when we come to discuss the draft timetable. There will be a number of points to raise on the programme that the clerk has suggested.