Official Report 535KB pdf
Welcome back to the European and External Relations Committee. Agenda item 3 is consideration of a report from the Scottish Parliament’s members of the Committee of the Regions. Stewart Maxwell sends his apologies. He is unable to be here to present his report because he is a member of the Devolution (Further Powers) Committee, which is meeting at the same time.
Members have the report in their papers.
I am grateful to our colleague Stewart Maxwell for providing the report. He informs us that one of the committees is going to begin an inquiry into the digital single market. I would be keen to keep in close touch to see what the scope of that inquiry might be and whether there is any possibility of the European and External Relations Committee feeding into the inquiry and asking it to consider particular matters.
We can ask about that.
I agree.
I notice that, at the 110th plenary session, Cecilia Malmström made a statement about the transatlantic trade and investment partnership. That seems to have faded away. Can we inquire what involvement the Committee of the Regions is having with the TTIP debate?
Yes, we can ask about that as well.
I am a relatively new member of the committee. I assume that our parliamentary members of the Committee of the Regions would normally come along and have a wee chat with the committee about what is going on. Is that correct? That would be helpful.
There was no formal mechanism for the Committee of the Regions to communicate with the committee. The European and External Relations Committee set up the process and that is why we now get the six-monthly report. As you can see, they pack a lot into the work that they do—some of it is very topical and some of it is on-going. It is a new phenomenon and we have been developing it as we go along. However, you are right in saying that the member would usually come to the committee; that is why Stewart Maxwell sent his apologies this morning. The previous time, Patricia Ferguson provided her report, but she is in a similar situation in being on another committee that meets at the same time. That makes it difficult but, as you can see, it is a comprehensive report and those members are happy to answer questions.
It would be useful if we could get a mutually agreed time for the members to come along and have a general discussion. It need not be terribly onerous, and it would be helpful to have an exchange of views.
We can look at that for the new sitting period, which starts in September.
Did we not agree to ask Patricia Ferguson to come back and give us a verbal report as well, even though she was not able to make it on that day?
The members take turns to present the report over a six-month cycle.
Nobody has given a verbal report.
That is what Adam Ingram is asking for. We will try to set that up for the sitting period that starts in September.
I would be happy with that.
Are we happy to circulate the report to the relevant subject committees and alert the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee to some particular issues that have come up in the report?
Members indicated agreement.