Enterprise and Culture Committee, 25 Jan 2005

Meeting date: Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Official Report 197KB pdf

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Items in Private

Apologies for being two minutes late. I was down in the smoke. Welcome to the committee. We have received apologies from the deputy convener, Mike Watson, who will be about 15 minutes late.

I ask everyone to switch off their mobiles.

I believe that this may be the last meeting with Jamie Stone representing the Liberal Democrats, as he is leaving to join one of the justice committees. Our loss is its gain. I thank Jamie for his significant contribution to the work of the committee in the past two years.

That is very kind of you, convener. I leave you with some regret. I do not know which of the justice committees I am going to—there is a little bit of confusion over it—but it will be revealed in the next few days. Convener—you are still my convener pro tem—you talked some weeks ago about taking the committee up to the Highlands and Inverness. My last request is to warmly encourage you to remain with that notion.

Absolutely. I visited AEA Technology at its facility in Glengarnock the other day, and it has invited us to tour the battery factory at Thurso while we are up there.

The honourable member there will provide hospitality and should be grateful for your presence.

I hope that you enjoy yourself in your new, more junior, committee.

This is also the last meeting that Judith Evans will clerk because, unfortunately, she is also leaving us. I thank her for four years of excellent hard work for the committee. I hope that we will be in a position to announce her replacement some time soon, although I have to say that she will be very difficult to replace.

Our first item of business is to consider whether to take items 4, 5 and 6 in private. Unless anyone objects, I suggest that we do so. Is that okay?

Members indicated agreement.