Education, Culture and Sport Committee, 06 Feb 2001

Meeting date: Tuesday, February 6, 2001

Official Report 209KB pdf

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Items in Private

I am sorry that I am late, folks. I will move straight to the first item on the agenda, which is to decide whether to take items 5 and 6 in private. Although I think that it is appropriate to consider both items in private, I will take committee members' views on the subject.

We should certainly take item 6 in private, as we will be discussing a draft report. However, I do not see much need to go into private session for item 5. We all have views on increasing the effectiveness of committees and those views should be on the public record.

After we have finished with our witnesses, I want to mention our special educational needs report. I am sure that all committee members will deprecate its being reported on Friday before its publication.

As I was about to raise that issue, I appreciate the fact that you have mentioned it.

It has been suggested that we take item 5 in private because all the other committees are discussing committee effectiveness in private, with a view to reporting back to the conveners liaison group. However, if the committee is minded to discuss the item in public, I have no problems with that.

If other committees are handling the item in private, I see no reason why we should be any different. However, I am not much bothered one way or the other.

Although I am not particularly worried, the committees are very important to the working of the Parliament and perhaps any discussion about how committees can create wider civic participation and so on should be taken in public. However, if the other committees are taking the item in private, perhaps we should do the same.

Let us be individual in this committee.

Do members agree to take item 5 in public and item 6 in private?

Members indicated agreement.