City of Edinburgh Council (Leith Links and Surplus Fire Fund) Bill Committee

Meeting date: Thursday, October 31, 2013

Official Report 263KB pdf

Interests and Impartiality

Good morning, everyone. Under standing orders, I will, as the oldest committee member—I am told that this is a very young committee—chair the meeting for the first few agenda items.

I welcome everyone to the first meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council (Leith Links and Surplus Fire Fund) Bill Committee. I remind all present that mobile phones and BlackBerrys should be turned off completely, as they interfere with the sound system even when they are switched to silent. No apologies have been received; we are all present and correct.

The first agenda item is the declaration of interests and impartiality. In accordance with section 3 of the “Code of Conduct for Members of the Scottish Parliament”, I invite members to declare any interests relevant to the committee’s remit and remind them that declarations should be brief, but sufficiently detailed to make clear to listeners the nature of the interests. I duly declare that I have no relevant registrable interests.

Also, in accordance with rule 9A.5.4A of standing orders, I declare that I will act impartially and will base decisions solely on the evidence and information provided to the committee.

I invite other members to make their declarations.

I have nothing to declare that is not disclosed in my entry in the register of interests. I similarly agree to act impartially.

I have nothing to declare—nothing in my entry in the register of interests is relevant to the committee’s work.

I ask Anne McTaggart to declare that she will act impartially and base decisions solely on the evidence and information provided to the committee.

I will act impartially and base decisions solely on the evidence and information that is brought before the committee.

I have nothing to declare either. I, too, will act impartially throughout the committee’s work.