Seòmar agus comataidhean

Excellent. Congratulations, Ruth.

Good morning. I welcome everyone to the 17th meeting in 2024 of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee. I have received no apologies this morning.

Agenda item 1 is to decide whether to take item 3, which is consideration of the committee’s approach to a proposed inquiry on committee effectiveness, in private, and whether to take a draft report on legislative consent rule changes, our review of oral questions and a proposed review of cross-party group rules in private at future meetings. Are members happy to take those items in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Our third agenda item is consideration of whether we are minded to recognise the proposed CPG. Do members have any comments?

As there are no comments from members, I will formally put the question. Is the committee happy to accord recognition to the proposed cross-party group on brain tumours?

Members indicated agreement.

Fine. Are we in agreement on approving the name change?

Members indicated agreement.

Our fifth agenda item is the annual report. As is required by standing orders, each committee publishes an annual report. The committee has before it our draft report from 2023 through to 2024.

The report deals with membership changes; meetings; the work that we have done by way of legislation, inquiries and case studies; evidence that we have taken from the Minister for Parliamentary Business; the code of conduct; complaints that have been received; post-legislative scrutiny; and the parliamentary corporation-supported bodies—namely, the commissioners who have been before us—along with other groups. Details of the petition that is with us are contained in it, along with our equal opportunities work and, as we have just done in this meeting, our cross-party group work, which certainly fills a substantial amount of the clerks’ time as well as ours on occasion.

I see that members do not have any comments to make on the draft annual report. I understand that a tiny amendment will be made to paragraph 26 before the report is published, and it will then be formatted in the usual annual report style. Is the committee happy for it to be finalised and published?

Members indicated agreement.

Our second agenda item is consideration of an application for recognition of a proposed cross-party group on brain tumours. I welcome Beatrice Wishart to the meeting. Beatrice is the proposed convener of the proposed group on brain tumours, and she joins us online this morning. Good morning, Beatrice. I will hand over to you for an introduction on the CPG’s intentions.

Good morning, and welcome to the 15th meeting in 2024 of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee. I have received apologies from Annie Wells. I welcome other members to the meeting.

Our first agenda item is a decision on taking business in private. Does the committee agree to take in private item 6, which is consideration of a complaint that the committee has received in relation to the cross-party group on commercial sexual exploitation?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you very much, Beatrice. I am jealous that you made it to a spaceport opening. That is quite unique, but let us hope that it is not the last time.

Do the members of the committee have any questions for the proposed convener?

This committee and other members have expressed concerns about the number of CPGs that exist. I note that there is significant cross-party support in the documentation, but when I look at the non-MSP members of the group, I note that you have individuals and Brain Tumour Research, which will act as the secretariat. If it is afforded accreditation, do you think that there will be significant interest among other non-MSPs who might wish to become members of the group?

I am grateful for that. Thank you for attending the committee, Beatrice—there was no problem with your attendance being remote. The committee will consider whether to approve the application for recognition under our third agenda item, and the clerks will inform you of the committee’s decision thereafter.