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We know that the view that is taken by the press—that MSPs treat the recess as a holiday—is a fallacy but, just as MSPs take holidays during recesses, particularly the summer, so do Executive staff.
A declaration of future interests would apply only to current MSPs; once someone was no longer an MSP, the declaration's provisions would not apply to them.
The committee is the place to discuss it, because the committee is discussing the registrable interests of MSPs, with a view to ensuring maximum probity and integrity in all the business that MSPs conduct.
After all, if one were being cynical, one might take the view that it is in the interests of the MSPs concerned to kill off the matter as early as possible.
First, I agree with the recommendation that MSPs should not submit petitions. Most of the MSPs with whom I have had contact agree that there are other ways in which we can pursue issues that are raised in petitions.
For example, one of the submissions suggested that because we are a small Parliament of 129 MSPs, there will inevitably be friendships, especially within parties, that might cause potential difficulties.