Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, 10 Sep 2008

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Official Report 285KB pdf

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Convener

Let us go ahead with our choice of convener, which falls to the Liberal Democrats. They have nominated Iain Smith, MSP for North East Fife.

Iain Smith was chosen as convener.

That is all that I have to do in the chair. I can now demit my post instantly, having held office for even less time than Prince Max of Baden in 1918.

Thank you very much, Chris, for chairing what was more my installation than my election. Given the Parliament's rules, the committee had little choice but to appoint me as its chair. I hope that I will serve the committee and its members to the best of my ability, and that you will have no reason to regret my installation as convener over the coming months.

Before turning to the next item of business, I put on record my appreciation—and that of the committee, I am sure—for the work of your previous convener, Tavish Scott, over the past year. This is a busy committee, which has done a substantial body of work over the year, so I am sure that you will wish to put on record your thanks to Tavish for convening you through that period.

Hear, hear.

I also put on record our appreciation of Brian Adam, who was the deputy convener, and who has also left the committee over the summer recess.