European and External Relations Committee, 18 Nov 2003

Meeting date: Tuesday, November 18, 2003

Official Report 170KB pdf

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Sift

That takes us on to the final agenda item, which is the sift paper. Only one document of special importance has been highlighted. The Equal Opportunities Committee is the relevant committee for that document, which concerns equal opportunities for people with disabilities and an action plan that the Commission has produced. That is clearly an issue that the Equal Opportunities Committee would want to consider and find out more about.

Has anyone spotted in the sift paper any issues that they want to highlight?

Can I propose—I do not know whether this is in order—that the European and External Relations Committee of the Scottish Parliament send its best wishes to Berti Vogts and the Scottish team for tomorrow night's game?

Yes. I am certainly very happy to do that. I notice in the minister's reply about future trade and cultural missions that the Scottish Executive will be running events in France and Holland next year, but I wonder whether, after Wednesday, Holland will welcome Scotland with open arms. We will wait and see. I suppose that it depends on the outcome of Wednesday's game.

Perhaps we in Scotland should refrain from referring to the Netherlands as Holland, which is almost as irritating for people in the Netherlands as it is for us to hear Britain being referred to as England.

That is right, but I was only quoting the minister's reply.

I thank members for attending. I will see them at the next meeting on Tuesday 2 December when, among other things, Ross Finnie, the Minister for Environment and Rural Development, will give evidence to the committee.

Meeting closed at 14:58.