Education, Culture and Sport Committee,

Meeting date: Tuesday, May 8, 2001

Official Report 147KB pdf

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Special Educational Needs

I open the public part of the meeting. Agenda item 3 is the committee debate on special educational needs. I am negotiating with the Executive to include in the motion the phrase:

"and calls upon the Executive to act upon the recommendations".

That would be useful, but I do not want there to be an amendment to the motion. We are working that out at the moment. Usually, committee motions simply note things, but it would be helpful if we could call on the Executive to act on the recommendations. If members are happy with the proposed wording, I will let them know by e-mail this week what is happening.

The deputy convener and I have discussed at some length the arrangements for the debate. We are happy to give up the opening slot to another member on the committee, if someone else would like to present the report. Either Cathy Peattie or I will sum up, if someone else will volunteer to lead off for the committee. The opening slot is 20 minutes.

Either Irene McGugan or I will open. We will discuss it and get back to you on that before the end of the week.

Fine. It would be helpful to have some consensus on the debate.

That arrangement will ensure that the committee is as near unanimous as we can get it. Perhaps the members who will open and close could consult each other so that they know who is saying what.