Seòmar agus comataidhean

The committee will continue to consider CPGs. I welcome Liz Smith for our consideration of a proposed CPG on outdoor education. We will make the decision on the proposed CPG under the next agenda item. The clerks will be in touch with you about that. Would you like to make any opening comments about the proposed CPG?

Good morning, and welcome to the fifth meeting in 2021 of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee. I ask those members and witnesses who are on the BlueJeans platform to remember to type R in the chat function as your request to speak.

Item 1 is consideration of whether the committee will hear a complaint from the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland and whether that item should be taken in private at a future meeting. Are we agreed on that?

Members indicated agreement.

That concludes the evidence on the affirmative SSIs.

We have two more SSIs to deal with. The next SSI is the Representation of the People (Variation of Limits of Candidates’ Local Government Election Expenses) (Scotland) Order 2021. I invite Edward Mountain, who is with us remotely, to put his questions to the minister.

Right.

That is helpful. Discussions that I have had show that people with disabilities felt very much supported by the additional expenditure. I was homing in on a request that had been made for assurance that that will be looked at after March.

Agenda item 6 is consideration of an update to the guidance on bills. The Parliament agreed a number of standing order rule changes during session 5. As a consequence of those changes, revisions to the guidance on public bills have been made.

If members have no comments on the guidance that has been provided to us, are we content to agree the revised guidance and approve it for publication?

Members indicated agreement.

Agenda item 7 is consideration of applications for recognition from five proposed cross-party groups.

The first group that we will consider today is the proposed CPG on Ireland. I hope that we can welcome James Dornan, who is the convener of the proposed group. He joins us remotely.

Good morning, James. You have made it through to us. We are asked to consider and approve the application for recognition under agenda item 8. In due course, the clerks will inform you of the committee’s decision. I invite you to make some opening comments on the proposed CPG.

Is the committee satisfied that I will sign off the report to the Parliament?

Members indicated agreement.

I invite the minister to speak to and move motion S6M-01321.

Motion moved,

That the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee recommends that the Scottish Local Government Elections Amendment Order 2021 [draft] be approved.—[George Adam]

Motion agreed to.