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That is very helpful.

To echo Bob Doris’s remarks about asking Colin Beattie pressing questions, there is an obligation on MSPs to ask such questions. Sometimes, we may need to save MSPs from themselves. I will certainly put in my letter that, should a CPG have come to the end of what it sought to achieve, it is possible for the convener of the group to write to us so that the group can, in essence, be de-recognised and its obligations can be removed.

That was helpful.

That is helpful, and it is right to say that a significant number of the CPGs have complied with their regulatory requirements. Indeed, there are CPGs that have not got to the stage when they would have been expected to do their annual return that have complied with all the requirements. We have already withdrawn recognition from one CPG this year for failure to meet the requirements, and that is noted in the report.

For the purposes of the annual review, would the committee be content for me, as convener, to write to all cross-party groups? I would thank those that have complied and, for those that have not complied, I would highlight where they have fallen short and the outcomes that could follow unless they rectify their regulatory failure—I was interested to hear Mr Beattie talking about regulatory requirements—and would ask them to explain why they have been unable to comply. I know that a number of events have had to be cancelled because of chamber commitments.

If the committee is happy for me to write to the cross-party groups in those terms, I think that that would be a way to take forward the annual monitoring report, which is an excellent piece of work—I echo Bob Doris’s comments on that. I would draw the report to the attention of all CPGs so that they can see how they are doing. It is very quick for members to find an individual CPG that they are involved in to see whether it has complied with the requirements.

That is common sense at its best. I will write to the conveners of the cross-party groups because, as MSPs, they are the individuals who have undertaken to comply with the requirements. However, it makes sense to make sure that the secretariats, where they are identified, are also aware of the situation, because of the good work that a lot of them do.

Almost from day 1, the committee has been concerned about CPGs. The issue is discussed by MSPs. At their very best, CPGs fulfil an incredibly valuable function in the Parliament, as they allow people, industries, charities, the third sector and communities in Scotland to reach out and speak to specific MSPs in order to seek their help and assistance or simply to give them information. However, the annual report shows that there are warning lights on the dashboard, which it would be wrong for us to ignore.

If the committee is happy, I will write to all CPGs, as well as their supporting secretariats, to congratulate those that have complied. For those that have not, I will seek an explanation and an undertaking that they will put right the defects as soon as possible. Are members content with that suggestion?

Members indicated agreement.

Good morning. I welcome everyone to the first meeting in 2023 of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee.

Agenda item 1 is a decision on whether to take business in private. Do members agree to take in private agenda item 6, under which the committee will discuss the cross-party group system, and agenda item 7, under which the committee will consider correspondence that we have received from the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you, Colin. It is nice to see—and I mean this in the most polite of ways—the almost juvenile excitement about Skyrora signing up to the group. It speaks to an interesting time with regard to space here, in Scotland, where there is almost that childhood excitement about rockets and satellites. The reality is that a significant number of jobs already exist in the industry, as you have indicated.

Before I invite other members of the committee to contribute, can you confirm the extent of what you are covering with regard to space? I could read the quote about the final frontier if it covers everything. Your interest is in the launch site facilities and the engineering behind the production of satellites and all the supply chains into that in Scotland—is that right?

That is helpful.

Item 4 is correspondence that we have received from Graeme Dey MSP, in which he raises a number of concerns about parliamentary motions and how they are being used, particularly those that congratulate individuals or organisations. Do any members of the committee have any comments on that?

That is helpful.

Thank you for attending, Mr Beattie. The committee will now consider whether to approve the application, and the clerks will inform you of our decision in due course.

Under agenda item 3, the committee will consider whether to accord recognition to the proposed cross-party group on space. Are there any comments?