Enterprise and Culture Committee, 08 Mar 2005
Meeting date: Tuesday, March 8, 2005
Official Report
109KB pdf
Items in Private
As it is nearly 2 minutes past 2, I welcome everyone to the seventh meeting in 2005 of the Enterprise and Culture Committee. I remind people to switch off their mobile phones. The only apologies come from me. I have been asked to attend a Parliamentary Bureau meeting at 2.30, so Stephen Imrie, the clerk, and I will leave at just after 20 past 2 and rejoin you at about 10 to 3—hopefully, still in one piece.
We will have finished by then.
Absolutely.
Item 1 on the agenda is to consider whether to take items 4 and 5 in private. Item 5 is very straightforward. For the record, I will remind people why item 4 is on the agenda and of the background to it.
On 16 March 2004, the committee appointed Brian Adam and Richard Baker as reporters on Scottish football. They were to conduct a framework investigation into Scottish football and to report back to the committee. The committee decided to adopt that approach to the subject because its work programme did not allow time for a full inquiry. Brian Adam resigned from the committee on 22 September 2004. On behalf of the committee, I thank him for his work on and input into the report.
The committee agreed that the investigation would consider the current situation in Scottish football, with specific reference to the financial advice that is available to football clubs and supporters organisations; supporters' involvement in decision making; and the Executive's actions to date to support the development of Scottish football. This afternoon Richard Baker will report back to the committee on his findings. The committee will consider the general principles of Richard's paper and decide whether it wishes to adopt the paper as the basis for further committee work and a formal draft report. If the committee adopts the paper, it will be considered in the same manner as any other draft report. The evidence that has been collated as part of the investigation will be published on the committee's website and a finalised report will be published, probably in April or May, depending on the committee's workload.
Do members agree to consider items 4 and 5 in private?
Members indicated agreement.