Local Government Committee, 18 Jan 2000

Meeting date: Tuesday, January 18, 2000

Official Report 286KB pdf

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Scottish Parliament Local Government Committee Tuesday 18 January 2000 (Afternoon)

[The Deputy Convener opened the meeting at 14:05]

I welcome everyone to this meeting of the Local Government Committee. Let us get started. I am conscious that we have a heavy timetable this afternoon.

Trish Godman, the convener of this committee, is unwell. In her absence, I shall chair the meeting. I suggest that we follow the usual format in taking evidence, and I ask members to be aware when asking their questions of the amount of business that we have to deal with.

I want to raise a small matter at the beginning of the meeting. At one point today, it seemed that, because of family circumstances, I might not be able to stay for the whole meeting. That would have created an anomaly—if neither the convener nor the deputy convener are available, the meeting cannot go ahead. I am asking the clerk to pursue that point with the appropriate people as we could have ended up not being able to take the second element of evidence.

I note that Tommy Sheridan MSP is with us today. He is not a member of this committee but of course he is entitled to attend any committee meeting—as we all are. I welcome Tommy, who, like other members, will have an opportunity to contribute to today's business.