Plenary, 13 Mar 2008
Meeting date: Thursday, March 13, 2008
Official Report
777KB pdf
Point of Order
On a point of order, Presiding Officer.
Several areas of our standing orders deal with the publication of committee reports and the laying of reports and publications before the Parliament. You will be aware that a committee report is published today that deals with the planning proposal at the Menie estate. The report is already in the hands of a number of journalists who, understandably, are looking for comment even though it has been released under a no-approach embargo.
I entirely accept that the committee has followed standard and normal procedure and I do not question that, but will you examine the existing procedure and ask whether it would be appropriate for highly controversial reports—which will understandably provoke journalists to want to report comment from members quickly—to be given to members at the same time as the media?
I thank the member for giving me advance notice of what I regret is not actually a point of order for me. As I think the member accepts, access to and distribution of committee reports is a matter for the committee, and particularly the convener of the committee. I will reflect on his words, but if he has any further concerns I suggest that he take them up with the convener of the Local Government and Communities Committee, Duncan McNeil MSP.