Official Report 171KB pdf
The first item on the agenda of today's meeting of the Local Government and Transport Committee is consideration of whether to take items 5 and 6 in private. Item 5 is about potential evidence sessions on the Strategic Rail Authority's proposals for rail maintenance and on the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland survey, about which we have already agreed to take evidence. Item 6 is consideration of how we progress our examination of Margo MacDonald's member's bill, the Prostitution Tolerance Zones (Scotland) Bill. Do we agree to take those items in private at the end of the meeting?
On the principle of taking items in private, what is the reason for considering both those items in private? What is there about them that cannot be heard in public but that might be heard in private? I ask for a general indication rather than for the absolute detail—that would defeat the purpose.
The key point is that we are setting out the main issues that we want to examine. If we were to do so in public at this stage, we would in effect highlight the lines of questioning that the committee might choose to follow at evidence sessions, which could to some extent affect the evidence that we subsequently hear. It has been normal practice for committees to consider a paper in private when they discuss how to tackle an issue. The evidence taking will take place in public—and obviously the witnesses will give their answers in public.
I believe that, as a general principle, we should always hear things in public, but I take heed of what you say and will run with it at this stage.
Do members agree to take items 5 and 6 in private?