Scottish Parliament
Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill Committee
Thursday 25 September 2003
(Afternoon)
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: [The Oldest Committee Member opened the meeting at 13:31]
Mr Rob Gibson (Oldest Committee Member): : I welcome everyone to the committee's meeting. As I am the oldest committee member, it is my duty to start proceedings. The meeting is quorate, as four committee members are present. I remind everyone to switch off their mobile phones and pagers. We have received no apologies, so we will proceed to the declaration of interests. If the committee member who is not present arrives during the meeting, that will be fine. If not, we will hear his declaration of interests in due course.
Interests
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Mr Gibson: : The declaration of interests is a statutory requirement, so it is advisable for committee members to err on the side of caution by declaring any interests that would prejudice or give the appearance of prejudicing their ability to participate disinterestedly in the committee's proceedings.
Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): : I have nothing to declare.
Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): : I have no interests to declare.
Mr Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): : I have nothing to declare.
Mr Gibson: : I have nothing to declare, either. If Mr Mundell arrives, we will ask him whether he has any interests to declare, which is an important question.
Convener
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Mr Gibson: : The Parliament agreed to a Parliamentary Bureau motion that said that the convener is to be chosen from the Labour party members of the committee. I invite a nomination for the position of convener, which will not require to be seconded.
Nora Radcliffe: : I nominate Bill Butler.
Mr Gibson: : There are no other nominations.
: Bill Butler was chosen as convener.
Mr Gibson: : As there is no dissent, I will swap chairs with Bill Butler and welcome him to the job.
Deputy Convener
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The Convener (Bill Butler): : Good afternoon, colleagues. I thank Rob Gibson for doing the necessary convening of the first two agenda items. Members will be aware that the Parliament agreed to a Parliamentary Bureau motion that said that the deputy convener will be a member of the Scottish National Party. Could I have a nomination?
Mr Baker: : I nominate Rob Gibson.
: Mr Rob Gibson was chosen as deputy convener.
The Convener: : I congratulate Rob Gibson. We look forward to working with you.
As Mr Mundell has now joined us, we will flip back to the declaration of interests. Would you care to say whether you have anything to declare?
David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): : I do not think that I have anything to declare. I always declare that I am a member of the Law Society of Scotland, just in case that is raised as an issue by anybody.
The Convener: : That is more than enough.
David Mundell: : Other than the interests that are on my entry in the register of members' interests, I have nothing to declare.
The Convener: : I thank Mr Mundell for that.
Item in Private
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The Convener: : Does the committee agree to take in private item 5, which deals with our approach to the bill's preliminary stage?
Members indicated agreement.
The Convener: : Does the committee want to make public the schedule for the preliminary stage after we agree it? That would be reasonable.
Members indicated agreement.
The Convener: : I ask members of the public, the official report and broadcasting staff to leave the room, as we are going into private session.
: Meeting continued in private until 13:53.