Communities Committee, 08 Nov 2006

Meeting date: Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Official Report 300KB pdf

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Standing Orders (Change)

Item 4 on the agenda is a proposed change to the standing orders. The Procedures Committee has written to all subject committees to seek their views on a request from the Subordinate Legislation Committee for a minor change to rule 10.3.2 to insert the word "normally" before the requirement for the Subordinate Legislation Committee to report

"no later than 20 days after the instrument … is laid."

The implications for subject committees are set out in the paper that the clerks have circulated. Given that the Subordinate Legislation Committee intends to continue to report on the majority of instruments within 20 days, there should be no significant impact on our committee. Does any member have a comment on the proposal?

Is the Conveners Group the appropriate body to monitor whether, in the future, the majority of instruments are reported on within 20 days?

I am not sure whether the Conveners Group is the most appropriate body to monitor that, but we can ask the question. Patrick Harvie's point is a good one. We are being given a commitment that the majority of reports will come within the 20-day time limit—

And the rest within a few days of that.

Yes. It will be interesting to know whether that turns out to be the case. We need to ensure that the change does not cause us problems in the future. In our response to the Procedures Committee, I suggest that we ask whether and how the change will be monitored. Are we agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

I will write to the Procedures Committee to confirm that we are content with the proposal and put the question on monitoring. Are we agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

In that case, I will inform the Procedures Committee of our decision.

Meeting continued in private until 13:28.