Good afternoon and welcome to the 28th meeting in 2008 of the Finance Committee. Agenda item 1 is to decide whether to take some items in private. First, I propose that we take our draft report on the 2009-10 budget process in private at this and future meetings. Are members agreed?
Secondly, does the committee agree to consider a draft report on the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Bill in private at a future meeting?
Thirdly, it is suggested that we consider a proposed contingent liability in private at our meeting next week. A contingent liability is essentially a liability that is not certain but contingent on some event. The most obvious example is guarantees and indemnities. It is proposed that the item be taken in private because negotiations are on-going, and discussing commercially sensitive information in the public domain could prejudice negotiating positions. Do members agree to take the item in private?