Health Committee, 30 Sep 2003

Meeting date: Tuesday, September 30, 2003

Official Report 255KB pdf

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Item in Private

Welcome to the eighth meeting in 2003 of the Health Committee.

The first item on our agenda is consideration of whether to take item 4 on our agenda in private. Item 4 relates to the consideration of our draft stage 1 report on the Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill and while, at the moment, discussions about draft reports are normally held in private, we should note what Mike Rumbles said last week about his wish to have such discussions in public at some point.

After I raised that point last week, we made good progress on the document in private session. Given that there is not a great amount of controversial discussion to be had by the committee in relation to the report, might we consider finishing off our consideration of the report in public? At every meeting at which a draft report is to be discussed, the committee is asked to agree to deal with the matter in private. If we always agree to discuss such reports in private, we are making a mockery of the process.

I understand where Mike Rumbles is coming from, but if the report is to be agreed on by everyone on the committee, we should be able properly to fine tune the essence of the matters on which members agree. As a number of changes have been made to the report that we are to discuss, I would prefer to discuss it in private so that we can deliver it to the Parliament.

Are you happy with that on this occasion, Mr Rumbles?

Yes.

I have noted the views that you have expressed.

Do members agree to discuss the draft report in private?

Members indicated agreement.