European Committee, 18 Aug 1999

Meeting date: Wednesday, August 18, 1999

Official Report 232KB pdf

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Scottish Parliament European Committee Wednesday 18 August 1999 (Morning)

[The Convener opened the meeting at 10:32]

Good morning. I welcome you to this meeting of the European Committee of the Scottish Parliament. I hope that everyone has had an enjoyable and restful break, as the coming months are going to be busy and potentially exciting.

Before I start the meeting proper, I need to make a couple of points, the first of which regards fire regulations. The clerks to the committee will support and advise anyone in the event of a fire. There are uniformed attendants in the room who will help in the event of an emergency. We are advised not to stop to collect personal belongings and not to use the lifts.

Secondly, this is the first meeting for Dennis Canavan and Winnie Ewing. I welcome them to the committee and ask them whether they have any declarations of interest to make before we start.

I recently agreed to write a regular column for a newspaper; in my writing, I may touch on matters that are relevant to the European Union and the work of the committee. Other than that, I do not think that I have anything to declare.

I am no longer a member of the European Parliament, but I receive a pension and will receive some kind of severance, which has not yet been disclosed to me. I hope that it is good news—after 23 years, it ought to be.