Official Report 198KB pdf
Item 4 on the agenda is consideration of a letter from the Scottish Affairs Committee, which is currently undertaking an investigation into the effects of devolution on the structure of news and current affairs broadcasting in Scotland. The committee has said that it would appreciate the views of a cross-section of MSPs. It has asked us to consider contributing to its inquiry, either individually or collectively, initially in the form of written evidence. We have a problem with the request, because we have not considered the matter. We have no collective view on the impact of devolution on such broadcasting. I am sure that individual members have their own views.
It would have been nice to agree a common position on the issue. Although there are individual party perspectives, there is a common Scottish position on broadcasting news and current affairs. However, there is not enough time to hear from witnesses and to carry out the consultation that would be required for us to reach that common position. Would it be possible for us to discuss the issue early in the new year to discover whether there is any common ground and to decide whether we want to give oral evidence? I will submit evidence on behalf of the SNP and I hope to give oral evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee. I think that we could find a common position on certain developments in Scotland.
The other difficulty is that if we were to give evidence on behalf of the committee, we would have to report to the Scottish Parliament before reporting to Westminster. I do not know whether the Parliament's programme has time for that.
I suspect that time will not permit that. Could we discuss the matter early in the new year?
Yes. We will put it on the agenda for our first meeting in the new year.
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