Seòmar agus comataidhean

Is it your view, then, that the Parliament itself should be at its most versatile with regard to what we are calling hybrid interaction instead of placing any expectation in that respect on those from whom we are seeking contributions? Is that an ideal solution?

I welcome to the evidence session Artemis Pana, national co-ordinator, Scottish Rural Action; Bill Scott, senior policy adviser, Inclusion Scotland; Charis Scott, Scotland promotion and engagement manager, Christians Against Poverty; and Mhairi Wylie, chief officer, Highland Third Sector Interface, and member of the TSI Scotland Network, which is a body of charities that supports the third sector across Scotland. Those witnesses join us online.

In the room, we have Liam Fowley, former MSYP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley and former vice-chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament; and Kimberley Somerside, policy and engagement officer, Voluntary Health Scotland.

I remind those who are joining us online to type R in the chat function on the BlueJeans platform if they would like to come in on any issues. I am hoping that the session can be in the form of a round table, with conversation and discussion through me as convener, and your input will help with the report that we are preparing.

I will kick off with Artemis Pana and work through those witnesses who are joining us online before inviting contributions from those who are in the room. To what extent do you normally engage with the Parliament, and how has that been different since Covid?

That is an enormous question about what we have been through in the past 18 months or so and how that has affected your interactions with the Parliament. Your answer might cover frequency of engagement on issues, whom you have engaged with—committees or others—and the ways in which that engagement has happened.

Good morning. I apologise for the slight delay to the start of the 13th meeting in 2022 of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee. We have received apologies from Edward Mountain MSP. In his place, we are joined by Sue Webber MSP.

Agenda item 1 is a decision on whether to take in private items 5, 6 and 7, as well as future consideration of the code of conduct rule changes, the draft report on future parliamentary procedures and practices and consideration of a revision to the directions to the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland. Do we agree to take those items in private?

Members indicated agreement.

I am grateful. We will postpone items 2 and 3 to a future meeting, at a time to be agreed. That takes us to item 4.

I apologise for speaking across you, Artemis, but the committee intends to look into the aspects that you are describing later in this round-table discussion. The first question was just to capture your experience over the past 18 months or so.

I had in my mind a question about something that you said, but it has completely slipped out. There we are—I give my deepest apologies. If it is all right, I might well return to you when that question comes back into my addled brain.

I ask Bill Scott to give Inclusion Scotland’s view on experiences over the past 18 months.

To pick up on Liam’s very astute point about time, if it is all right with you, Tess, I will ask Bob Doris to introduce his question, which relates to yours and might allow us to identify some solutions.

Today, for the first time in my experience as convener, I have the opportunity to say that we have the slightest amount of time left. If there is anything that any of those who are giving evidence—not committee members—would like to put on the record, we can pursue that in correspondence afterwards. I will go round the witnesses to see whether there is anything that they would have liked to discuss but were not able to raise.

It is fascinating how often members of the committee suggest ideas for CPGs that come before us. Perhaps that is the privilege of overseeing them.

Item 4 is stage 2 proceedings on the Scottish Local Government Elections (Candidacy Rights of Foreign Nationals) Bill. I welcome George Adam, the Minister for Parliamentary Business, who joins us remotely along with his officials. I highlight the fact that officials are not to speak on the record during these proceedings.

No amendments have been lodged for this stage, so the only requirement is to agree the four sections of the bill and its long title. Before we do so, I thank the minister for attending and ask him whether he wishes to make any comments or whether he is happy for the letter that he sent us and the earlier evidence given to the committee to stand as the official record of the Government’s position.