Future Meetings
Item 2 concerns future Audit Committee meetings. The paper sets out the dates of future meetings that have been agreed previously. The committee is being asked to agree dates for those meetings for which a date has not been fixed.
The paper asks for the committee's agreement on the way in which the National Audit Office report—covering Scottish matters that were previously considered by the Westminster Public Accounts Committee—which is to be published in December, should be dealt with. Once we have made some decisions this morning, we will receive an updated timetable and programme.
On Tuesday 9 November, the committee will meet at 2 pm to begin stage 2 consideration of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Bill. I remind members that the deadline for lodging amendments is 5.30 pm on Friday 5 November. Is that meeting agreed?
Members indicated agreement.
The committee will meet at 2 pm on Tuesday 16 November to complete stage 2 consideration of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Bill. I ask you to note that Parliament has agreed a deadline for completion of 19 November. If it proves impossible to deal with all outstanding amendments in one meeting in the week beginning 15 November, it will be necessary to schedule an additional meeting. That means no verbosity. Let us stick to the issues.
Could we decide on a date now, just in case that happens?
The Finance Committee moved fairly quickly through the business of dealing with amendments this morning. Depending on how many additional amendments are lodged this week, I am fairly confident that we might complete the business next Tuesday without having to have a second meeting. It might be premature to agree a third session at this point.
The clerk is confident. Let us not ruin her confidence.
Although the deadline is Friday at 5.30 pm, we would very much appreciate amendments as soon as possible.
Is the meeting in the week beginning 15 November agreed to?
Members indicated agreement.
We come to a matter that could be a bit of a problem. The committee has to agree a date and time to be briefed by the NAO on the report, "Emergency Planning for the Year 2000", which will be considered on Tuesday 23 November.
I should point out an error in your committee papers relating to possible dates for the NAO briefing. The paper states that, in addition to a meeting after 5 pm or at lunch time on Tuesday 16 or Wednesday 17 November, we could meet in the morning or afternoon of those days. That is not correct. The committee already has a meeting scheduled for that Tuesday afternoon to consider the finance bill and it cannot meet on Wednesday afternoon because Parliament will be in plenary session. Only the mornings of those days are possible, but that could mean that there will be clashes with other committees.
During an informal meeting, there was a suggestion that a meeting from 1 o'clock to 2 o'clock on Tuesday 16 November would suit a lot of folk. Could those who were not at that informal meeting look in their diaries and see if that would be possible? It was felt that meeting at lunch time would speed the process.
Are you saying that, because it is an informal meeting, there are no constraints on members bringing their lunches along?
That is correct; just do not crunch or munch too loudly. If people want to keep themselves alive with sandwiches, they are welcome to do so.
Will we have our ordinary meeting in the afternoon?
Yes, at 2 o'clock.
That is assuming that we have not finished with the bill next week. I suggest that if it is possible—if we have almost finished with the bill, for example—we could shorten our ordinary meeting and continue the briefing afterwards.
Are we agreed that we will have a briefing on Tuesday 16 November between 1 o'clock and 2 o'clock?
Members indicated agreement.
The committee will meet at 2 o'clock on Tuesday 23 November to consider the NAO report, "Emergency Planning for the Year 2000".
Members will be pleased to hear that no meetings are scheduled for the week beginning 29 November.
In the week beginning 7 December, we will deal with the Scottish reports that were previously considered by the PAC. The programme of committee meetings that was previously circulated included two meetings for the weeks beginning 6 December and 15 December when we could consider the NAO summary report on the results of previous reports on Scottish matters considered by the PAC. It is likely that that report will not be published until the beginning of December.
I imagine that the committee will want to consider carefully the report and the action that we would propose to take. Members might not want to follow up some subjects at this stage. They might want to ask for written evidence on some subjects or call accounting officers to give oral evidence on progress made since the original report. I suggest that we delay consideration of the report until the new year and use a meeting in December to consider, along with the NAO, questions of handling and priority. Are we agreed that we will do that?
Members indicated agreement.
Thank you for attending, I think that we have made considerable progress.
Meeting closed at 13:49.