Items in Private
Good morning and welcome to the sixth meeting of the Education Committee in 2006. I welcome Andrew Welsh, who is here as a substitute for Adam Ingram. Andrew, is this the first time you have been here as a substitute member?
It is indeed.
For the record, I ask you to declare any specific interests that may be relevant.
Apart from having been a secondary school teacher and a senior lecturer in further education more years ago than I care to think about, I have no interests to declare.
Thank you.
Item 1 is to decide whether to take items 3 and 4 in private. We have already agreed to take item 5 in private, as that item is consideration of the draft report on our early years inquiry. Item 3 is consideration of the appointment of an adviser for our scrutiny of the proposed adoption bill, as agreed at our meeting last week. We thought that it would be appropriate to conduct that discussion in private, not least because the bill has not yet been formally introduced or referred to the committee. Item 4 is the forward work programme, which it is normal practice to give members an opportunity to consider in private first. Obviously, we will make the work programme known once it is agreed by the committee.
Are members content for items 3 and 4 to be taken in private?
Members indicated agreement.