Finance and Public Administration Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Official Report 424KB pdf

Interests

Welcome to the first meeting of the Finance and Public Administration Committee in session 6. It falls to me to lead the first two items on the agenda, because I am the oldest member of the committee. It was something of a shock to find out that I am the oldest member of the committee, but there we go.

The committee has seven members. I welcome all members, and I look forward to working with them in the interests of the public. I find the committee work in Parliament to be among the most fulfilling and satisfying things that we do, and I very much look forward to being on a finance committee once again and to working with everybody else.

I remind people to switch off their mobile phones, as they can be heard if your microphones are on. We have received no apologies.

Agenda item 1 is declarations of interests. Each of us has to declare any interests that we have that are relevant to the work of the committee. Background information has been provided to members.

I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. ICAS often has input into the committee, so I thought that I should declare that interest.

I have no relevant interests to declare.

Good morning, everybody. I am a former employee of Standard Life and of the Royal Bank of Scotland, but I hold no shares in them.

I am a sole trader of Thomson Holdings, which is a property investment company for buy-to-let residential property. I receive some income from that, which is declared in the register of interests.

I am a director of Senza Rit Ltd, which is a property management company for residential property. I receive a benefit in kind in the form of life cover, but I receive no income from that. That is declared in the register of interests.

I am a former adviser to the Northern Ireland Assembly all-party group on fair banking and finance, for which I received no remuneration, and I am a current ambassador of the Westminster all-party parliamentary group for fair business banking, for which I receive no remuneration.

I have no relevant interests to declare.

I remind everyone that I am still a member of Aberdeen City Council as an elected councillor.

I am a director of, and sole shareholder in, a company that has retail interests. I am a member of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers and of the Community trade union, and I am the vice chair of the ADHD Foundation charity.

I do not believe that I have any interests that are relevant to the committee that need to be declared.