European and External Relations Committee, 13 Mar 2007

Meeting date: Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Official Report 203KB pdf

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Sift

The next item on the agenda is the sift. I see that we are 10 or 15 minutes ahead of the very loose timings suggested in the convener's brief so, in honour of Phil Gallie, we can spend a bit more time on this item.

Do members have any comments on the sift of European documents and draft legislation?

I was going to agree it in Phil Gallie's honour.

Phil, the floor is yours.

You have caught me on the hop, convener. Given the number of documents that we receive under this item, it is always interesting to pick out a few and look at them. However, reading some of the comments that have been made about the documents, I think that it would take a Philadelphia lawyer to ascertain—

There is a lawyer sitting beside you.

Aye, but he is not from Philadelphia.

I have to say that there were so many items in the sift that I did not spend a great deal of time on it this month. That said, I like this item, because it tends to highlight the issues that are going through the system. Indeed, another document that the committee will consider a little later refers to the fact that 1,000 EU documents will pass through this committee, many of which, I suspect, are contained in the sift. I make a plea that if we are putting such a figure into our annual report, we should also be able to say something about those documents. I suppose that that is the purpose of the sift.

In any case, I certainly found the sift useful last month when we questioned the minister—although I have to say that he did not particularly appreciate it.

Is that your swan song, Phil?

On the sift, yes, it is.

Hear, hear.

If members have no other comments, do we agree to refer the documents to the committees indicated?

Members indicated agreement.

As that concludes what is likely to be our final item in public in this parliamentary session, I thank members very much for their attendance at and participation in committee meetings. I have been convener for a relatively short time—a year and a half, if I am correct—and I thank in particular Phil Gallie, Dennis Canavan, Jim Wallace and John Home Robertson, who has had to dash off to another committee, for serving this committee very well and for a longer time than I have. As we all know, they are not standing for the Scottish Parliament again, so we can definitely say that they will not be back to serve on the committee. I thank them very much for their input and assistance.

I have been on the committee since 1999, so I am one of the longest-serving members. So is Dennis Canavan, whom I will be sorry to lose. Despite many changes in the committee, Dennis and I have been the two constants.

The dynamic duo.

I thank Dennis Canavan for the work that he put into the committee. I also thank John Home Robertson, who was deputy convener when I was convener. John was always a source of support during that time, and I appreciate the efforts that he has put into the committee over a number of years.

The committee just will not be the same without Phil Gallie. It will not be nearly as interesting. I do not know who the future committee will get to replace Phil. I do not even know whether I will be here, but I have really enjoyed working with both Phil Gallie and Jim Wallace. The committee has produced a lot of good work, and I echo the convener's thanks to other members.

As the joint longest-serving member of the committee, I thank the convener for her excellent convenership. I also thank the deputy convener who, like me, was an original member of the European Committee away back in 1999. The convener and the deputy convener have done an excellent job together. I wish all my colleagues who are not standing for re-election all the best for the future, and I thank the other members of the committee, too, for their comradeship.

The most unenjoyable period that I spent on the European and External Relations Committee was the time when I was also on the Edinburgh Tram (Line One) Bill Committee. Because of the nature of that committee, I was required to miss quite a number of this committee's meetings. Otherwise, I could hardly be held back from coming along.

I have enjoyed every minute of my participation, and I have enjoyed working with all committee members, despite our various altercations. I have particularly enjoyed arguing with Irene Oldfather, who holds some views on Europe that are diametrically opposed to mine, although we do hold one view in common, as I certainly would not advocate our coming out of Europe. That is a different argument from the one that divides us, which is about what we do within the European Union.

Quite honestly, I think that the committee has had a lot to put up with because of my contributions at times. I have tended to extend meetings and I have often heard Gordon Jackson and Charlie Gordon saying, "Oh, not him again." I have enjoyed every minute of it. Like Dennis Canavan, I wish those colleagues who will not be back all the best for whatever they do when they leave the Parliament.

You have to say something now, Jim.

I was going to give Gordon Jackson a chance. I thank members for their kind words. I also thank you, convener. This is the only committee of the Parliament that I have served on and I therefore have a particular affinity towards it. One of the features of the committee that I have particularly valued is that, with one or two exceptions, our business has proceeded on a non-partisan basis. Because of that, our work carries more weight when we are presenting arguments to the Parliament and the Executive.

Who knows what the next parliamentary session will bring, but the committee has taken a view on matters covering the whole range of the Executive's activities. It is important that we have been able to proceed in such a non-partisan way, with members valuing one another's company and point of view, even when we do not necessarily agree with the views that are expressed by others.

Convener, I thank you for your convenership and I wish those colleagues who will not be returning all the very best. Without being political, I hope that colleagues who may or may not be returning have their wishes granted—in one way or another.

Thank you for that. I am sure that John Home Robertson would have liked to say something at this point, too, but he cannot. On his behalf, therefore, I will say that he thinks that you are all wonderful—I am sure that he will forgive me for that.

I now invite members of the public to leave the meeting.

Meeting continued in private until 16:17.