Equal Opportunities Committee, 16 Apr 2002

Meeting date: Tuesday, April 16, 2002

Official Report 183KB pdf

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Local Government Covenant

We move on to item 2, which is the draft covenant between local government and the Scottish Parliament. A copy of the draft covenant should have been sent to all members. Do members have any comments?

I have a couple of questions.

I refer to paragraph 18, which falls under the heading "Local Government Committee". The first two bullet points talk about "observer status" for the committee at Convention of Scottish Local Authorities meetings, and for COSLA at meetings of the committee. Observer status would mean that COSLA representatives would be treated as if they were visiting the committee, but they would have that status if they were merely to sit in the public gallery, and they would be excluded from the committee when it moved into private session. What is the thinking behind that proposal? I am thinking in particular of the Local Government Committee, because the proposal would not give that committee the opportunity to draw COSLA into discussions on specific issues.

The final bullet point in paragraph 22 says that an

"MSP … or person with a specific interest, has the right to submit papers on agenda items, or to be invited to attend and address the Conference".

Could such people ask whether they might attend? Is it within the committee's remit to make such suggestions?

As far as I know, the Local Government Committee has asked all the subject committees and this committee for comments on the draft covenant, so we can feed questions and comments back.

If the committee thinks that those questions are reasonable, I would be pleased if it asked them.

It strikes me that anyone can come to a public meeting of the Parliament at any time. Such people's attendance at private meetings could raise questions. What would be the status of a private meeting that someone had made special arrangements with a committee to attend? Could that be done? Is it being suggested that COSLA would not be excluded from a private session, but that a council would be excluded, even when an agenda item that related exclusively to that council was being discussed? Would COSLA be allowed into a private meeting?

As things stand, no one but committee members and clerks can attend a private meeting.

I understand that, but did not I describe what Elaine Smith suggested? I must have misunderstood what she said.

I was not discussing private sessions. I understand the current situation, which I think is correct. I was asking whether there was any point in saying that COSLA may attend as an observer, because anyone can attend a committee meeting. What is the benefit of COSLA's having only observer status? I would like the committee to ask that question. There might well be a reason, but it does not jump out at me.

If COSLA representatives are to be observers, the committee might want to make some allowance for them in order to draw them into discussion or ask them questions. Likewise, if committee members attended COSLA meetings, a reciprocal arrangement might apply.

Do you want to clarify the difference between a member of the public and an observer?

Yes.

For the record, I understand fully now. I picked up wrongly what Elaine Smith said. Obviously, I was not listening properly. I agree with Elaine Smith. It is only fair and reasonable to ask that question.

We will feed that back to the Local Government Committee.

Meeting closed at 12:02.