Official Report 234KB pdf
Item 2 is to consider the committee's draft report on its activities over the past parliamentary year. The report is designed to be a straightforward and factual account. The one point that I want to make is that paragraph 9 refers to the committee's consideration of a European Union Bill. We might need to amend that text to take into account the fact that the new European Union Bill will, we expect, be introduced today—I have not heard that it has been so far, but I am sure that it will be.
I have three points, one of which you have just covered, convener. I think the European Union Bill was to be introduced earlier this week.
I heard that the bill was to be introduced today.
My second point is that I did not notice anything about our trip to Brussels, although I may have missed it. It might be worth including a sentence about the committee's annual visit and engagement with European institutions.
That is mentioned in paragraph 2. You must have been sleeping on the Irvine train this morning.
I must have read the report too quickly. My third point is about a typographical error; the figure "48" appears after the first paragraph of the section on the committee's remit.
Yes—that is just a typo. Are there any other points? We have to approve the draft report as it is our submission to the Parliament's annual report, which will be published in due course to, I am sure, a captivated audience.
I have another point. I note that paragraph 15 states that all our committee meetings have been held in Edinburgh. I want to extend an invitation to the committee to come and visit Ayrshire. I am sure that my colleague Mr Gallie will agree; it is the only European thing that we agree on.
We could go on 25 January.
We could perhaps celebrate the first of the new St Andrew's day holidays by going to Ayrshire for the day. That would require the Parliamentary Bureau and other parties to agree. I note Irene Oldfather's suggestion. Meeting outside Edinburgh involves a tortuous process of bureau consideration. We have a friend on the Conveners Group who might be able to help us out.
I wondered whether Ayr was in Europe.
Irvine is definitely in Europe.
Ayr remains in Europe, much to the chagrin of Mr Gallie.