Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee, 24 Nov 1999

Meeting date: Wednesday, November 24, 1999

Official Report 284KB pdf

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Inquiries

Item 3 on the agenda is subjects for further inquiries. On the "Subjects for Further Inquiries" document, I have highlighted issues which either have come to us by letter or are on the horizon. A number of other points will have to be added to the document.

There is an outstanding commitment to the petrol pricing inquiry, for which we are trying to secure a date. Simon Watkins is still working on that point. We also have a commitment to examine the semiconductor sector: we are looking for the best means of arranging those opportunities.

I have noted four other items on the document. They struck me as matters that we will have to examine as a committee. The first is the tourism review. The Executive will be publishing its report on that, and the subject is within our remit, so we should probably have a look at it. One of the meetings in late January or early February would be an appropriate time to take evidence on the strategy and, possibly, to hear from the Scottish Tourist Board and from ministers on the strategy's composition.

We have had a proposal from the Educational Institute of Scotland on national bargaining in further education; I have circulated that letter.

A number of members have passed on to me correspondence in relation to a presentation on the work of Employee Ownership Scotland. A formal inquiry is not proposed, but we might arrange an informal briefing.

The last item on my list is the multilateral agreement on investment. The Presiding Officer, Sir David Steel, is getting a great deal of correspondence on that subject, as, I am sure, are members. Sir David has asked me to draw the issue to the committee's attention so that we can decide whether we should do anything.

We must also keep an eye on the output of the Cubie inquiry, in regard to the committee's role in relation to the formal report of that inquiry, which is expected before the turn of the year.

Originally we had a long list of several different issues that the committee was to look at. Obviously, it is impossible to examine all the issues, but one that seems to have disappeared is e-commerce and how Scotland's economy will face some of the challenges that that will bring over the next few years. I am disappointed that it is not on the list—I would like to see it dealt with sooner rather than later. It is an issue that will not wait.

Do you, convener, have any idea when the Executive will publish the paper on that? Will that happen in the new year?

I have had some correspondence with Henry McLeish about that, but I cannot quite remember what the date will be.

That links in with tourism—we must set a date for when we will deal with that. That does not leave much room for our other priorities.

As I mentioned at the start of the meeting, I have an interest in the subject. Big developments are taking place all over the country, and unless we have something on e-commerce soon, huge mistakes could be made in planning and so on.

I do not disagree about e-commerce, and I do not think that members disagree about the committee's role in relation to tourism. Could we confirm inclusion of tourism in our agenda for 26 January?

The Executive report might not be published by then—I think that it is due at the end of January. It would be possible to include tourism in the meeting following the one on 26 January.

Duncan McNeil has raised an interesting issue. Should we scrutinise a tourism strategy that has been published in a glossy document? What impact could we have on that? The Government will have announced that as its strategy.

Can we give the Executive notice that we are setting aside a slot for that? The Executive should appreciate being able to fit in with committees' programmes. That would be good management. We should confirm a time to discuss e-commerce, or decide what will fit into future meetings after further consultation.

I agree that we should look at the tourism review in January. The Executive's original aim was that the review be completed around the end of the year, but—perhaps, understandably—things have slipped since then. Would not it be better if the committee gave its input on tourism before the glossy leaflet is published? Will we have access to submissions other than those that are confidential? There will be many submissions; for the committee to do a proper job on the tourism review, we should have access to the submissions, a summary of them or both.

I agree with some of what Fergus is saying. I hope that the committee will not get into the habit of some others, which rush deliberation of some issues and cover them in one meeting. The tourism strategy is fundamental to many members who represent, for example, rural areas. It is nonsense to try to undertake an investigation in a couple of hours. We need more time than that to do the job properly. Tourism is very important, and we should acknowledge that importance by giving it two meeting slots.

I agree with what has been said about tourism. Some weighty issues have been raised, and I agree that the tourism review is a fundamental part of the committee's remit. We must determine how that fits in with the Executive's review of tourism, and what our relationship will be with the Executive in that process. That is not something that we need to determine today, but we should state clearly that the committee wants to give tourism detailed consideration. That does not involve the committee simply rubber-stamping a glossy brochure. Tourism sticks out from the other issues for potential inquiry.

I also agree with those who mentioned the e-commerce strategy. If we are not to make a decision on that today, we should pencil it in for one of the single-inquiry sessions. We could take evidence—even if the report on e-commerce is not to hand—from experts in that area.

The Executive has informally offered members of the committee a draft copy of the review document before it becomes public. However, that might affect whether we discuss it in public or in private.

We have sought dates for the petrol pricing inquiry, and for some initial work on the semiconductor industry. Alternate Wednesdays in January and February—for which members expressed a preference—are all filled by other committees. A number of committees are dealing with legislation early next year and will be meeting regularly. If the committee undertakes such work, it should be looking to meet on Mondays or Fridays.

Can any of the companies that we will be dealing with offer committee facilities in or around Edinburgh?

The problem is more to do with the Parliament's resources for recording meetings and so on.

We keep bumping into that.

I will draw the meeting to a close.

If I have read things correctly, the committee is keen to look at the tourism strategy on 26 January. We might need a second session on that. We will keep the work programme under review, to ensure that issues raised by members—particularly e-commerce—are taken into account.

I thank members for their attendance.

Meeting closed at 12:47.