Chamber and committees

Good morning, and a very warm welcome to the second meeting in session 6 of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee. I remind all members to switch their mobile phones off or to silent, so as not to disturb the meeting.

Our first item is to decide whether to take item 3, on consideration of our work programme, in private. Are members agreed to take the item in private?

Members indicated agreement.

I thank everyone for making so many interesting points. I am glad to see that the importance of interparliamentary working came to the fore for most of you, because I am conscious that we need to work hard on that. I am delighted that there is consensus around building those relationships across the UK and in the wider context.

I have reflected on Patrick Harvie’s comments about culture. I think that the legacy report of the Education and Culture Committee, which I sat on for a long time, might have been instrumental in culture having been moved away from the education portfolio and put with the Europe portfolio, which I thought was a better fit. That being said, on crossover work, Alasdair Allan and I sat on a committee that did a substantial piece of work on music tuition in schools and its cultural aspects.

The European aspect of the committee has always had that overarching and cross-parliamentary responsibility, and that has worked well in the past. The conveners have been able to work together through the conveners group and the clerks to ensure that there has been no conflict with the other committees, and I am keen for that to continue.

When we consider culture, we sometimes concentrate on the big-ticket items such as the major festivals, the larger organisations and those that get more funding. I was therefore taken to hear that culture in the community is of interest to Ms Minto and Ms Boyack. I am keen to investigate that, too.

To pull together some of these strands, we have a definite role to play in how devolution works in a post-Brexit world. The Parliament was established in a very different constitutional context from the one we are in now, and we might have a role in looking at whether the operations of the Scottish Parliament are fit for purpose in some of those relations as we go forward.

There are some really interesting issues to be going on with. I thank Patrick Harvie for bringing the BBC situation to our attention. I understand that all members have had the opportunity to view the draft letter on that. If anyone is not happy with that letter being sent, could they put an N in the chat box? I see that we are agreed that that letter, as drafted by the clerks, will go to the BBC.

I have also been reminded that there was an announcement this morning on the possible privatisation of Channel 4, which will have an impact on its footprint in Scotland. That is an issue that the committee might want to look at that has immediately come to the fore.

I think that we have given the clerks enough to think about. I look forward to coming back in August for our work programme meeting. That will probably be a full day of discussions of proposals. We might well have an indication of the programme for government and some likely bills that might come to the committee by then, but we have enough to be going on with for now.

That concludes our business for today. Thank you for your attendance. I am really looking forward to taking this very exciting opportunity for the committee to do some really good work.

I am absolutely delighted to congratulate Donald Cameron on his appointment as deputy convener.

The extent of our remit is very challenging and, at times, we might have different opinions, but I hope that we will work well together, constructively and consensually most of the time, if not all the time.

I thank members for their endorsement of both the convener and the deputy convener.

I have no relevant interests to declare.

The next agenda item is legacy papers. The session 5 legacy papers that are relevant to the committee are from the Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee and the Finance and Constitution Committee. Members were provided with a helpful summary of the legacy papers ahead of the meeting. It would be helpful to have a short discussion of the issues that are raised in the papers and of any priorities that members would like the clerking team to take forward to our business planning session on the committee’s work programme at the end of August.

I invite Donald Cameron, as the deputy convener, to start the conversation.

A number of members have indicated that they wish to contribute. Please put an R in the chat box if you wish to do so.

Under the next agenda item, the committee is to choose a deputy convener. The Parliament has agreed that only members of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party are eligible for nomination as deputy convener. I understand that Donald Cameron is that party’s nominee. Does any member disagree with that nomination? If they do, they should put an N in the chat bar now.

I do not see anything in the chat bar.

Donald Cameron was chosen as deputy convener.

I thank Sarah Boyack for convening the committee for the first two agenda items, and I thank the committee for choosing me as convener. I am absolutely delighted to take on the post, and I look forward to working with you.