Finance Committee, 16 Sep 2003

Meeting date: Tuesday, September 16, 2003

Official Report 210KB pdf

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Scottish Parliament Finance Committee Tuesday 16 September 2003 (Morning)

[The Convener opened the meeting at 10:02]

I open the Finance Committee's sixth meeting of this parliamentary session. I welcome the press and the public and remind members to switch off their pagers and mobile phones. We have received apologies from Fergus Ewing.

I welcome Susan Duffy, who has been appointed as the new clerk to the committee. Many members will know Susan from her previous role as senior assistant clerk to the Education Committee and I hope that she enjoys her time with the Finance Committee.

I pay tribute to the outgoing clerk, David McGill, who was an outstanding clerk to the committee and did a tremendous amount of work, not only in facilitating business, but in thinking strategically and critically about the budget process. David did much work with Arthur Midwinter and me on developing the agenda. His contribution was considerable and he will be missed, but I am sure that Susan Duffy will fill the gap ably. If members agree, I would like to write to David to thank him on behalf of the committee for his contribution and to wish him good luck for the next step in his career—he is taking up leadership of the chamber office business team, so we will see him in the chamber.