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The fundamental problem that the Education, Culture and Sport Committee had with the bill is not whether we agree about where we want to get to—we agree about that—but whether the bill is the best way of getting there.
After all, if the justification is that we will be getting some sort of external perspective, but English judges do not speak, we get the benefit of an external perspective only as it is filtered through whatever the Scottish judges end up saying.
We should sympathise with the Executive in dealing with European regulations but also with lay people who have to interpret them. When farmers get such legislation it must be very difficult for them.
The bottom line should be that, if we cannot get access to information electronically, we should be granted access to one of the three substantial law libraries that are within 250 yards of this building.
Apologies have been received from Bill Butler and Brian Fitzpatrick. An attempt was made to get Jackie Baillie as a substitute, but she also found it impossible to get to the committee this morning.
We have been given an assurance that it would not be retrospective. We should probably get that in writing. Yes. A wee bit of clarification is required, but we do not need to worry about it.