European and External Relations Committee, 16 Dec 2008

Meeting date: Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Official Report 187KB pdf

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Visit (Prague)

Agenda item 3 is consideration of a paper on our proposed visit to Prague. Members will note the tentative date for the visit, which is 27 February 2009. Czech Republic Government ministers have agreed to meet us. We have secured the agreement of the Conveners Group to the committee undertaking the visit. I think that we have up to four places. Is that right?

Yes.

Given that we have four places, I seek agreement from the committee on their allocation. I propose to allocate one place to each of the four political parties that are represented on the committee. Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

That puts Ted Brocklebank and Jim Hume in a fortuitous position—or an unfortunate position; I am not sure which—although that depends, of course, on what they are doing on 27 February.

I will struggle through for the greater good of Scotland.

I am sure that you will cope.

Jim Hume will be the Liberal Democrat representative. Ted Brocklebank is not here, but we will speak to him on the matter this week. The Labour Party and Scottish National Party will decide on their representatives and submit the names to the clerks.

We can agree that among ourselves—as long as it is me, of course.

That is democracy at work. The clerks will attach names to the places in the next day or two.

It is proposed that we go at the end of business on the Thursday night; we will not arrive until midnight and the Friday will be a heavy day. I want everybody to know what they are signing up to.

I presume that we will return on the same Friday.

Yes.

Can we not stay until the Monday night?

We will leave the members who are going to sort things out with the clerks.