Environment and Rural Development Committee, 03 Sep 2003

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 3, 2003

Official Report 210KB pdf

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Items in Private

I welcome to the meeting committee members, witnesses and members of the press and public—if any are in the room—and remind everyone to switch off their mobile phones. I have just done so as I was the culprit last time.

Item 1 is to invite members to consider taking in private item 4, which is the draft remit and suggested programme of evidence for the national waste plan inquiry, and item 5, which is on claims under the witness expenses scheme. Item 4 involves consideration of potential witnesses and item 5 involves a discussion of claims for named individuals. Is it acceptable to members that we take those items in private?

Item 5 is exactly the kind of thing that should always be taken in private. We should take item 4 in private today, but perhaps afterwards we should consider at our leisure whether that was the right thing to do.

Item 4 includes information about potential committee witnesses. We will have to return to the matter when we decide whom we want to interview and what the scope of the inquiry will be.