Good morning. I begin by welcoming everybody back after the summer recess. I remind you of the Parliament’s rules on social distancing and the requirement to wear a mask if you are moving around or entering or leaving the room.
I also begin the new session by reminding the committee that our task and our job is to be the people’s and Parliament’s guardians, when things go wrong to get to the bottom of it, when public money is wasted to hold people to account and when lessons need to be learned to follow up to make sure that they are. I see the committee as being a critical part of a healthy and functioning democracy, and I think that it is even more important in the months ahead, at a time when there is renewed pressure on our public services, burned-out national health service staff, a backlogged justice system and young people who have missed out on education, that we stand up and ensure that we are led by evidence and facts without fear or favour.
The first item on the agenda is a decision on whether to take item 3 in private. Do members agree to consider our work programme in private?
Members indicated agreement.