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Let me be the first to congratulate you, convener and Kaukab Stewart, on your roles. I am sure that we all look forward to working on the committee, which is important, as you said. I was extremely pleased to hear your undertaking to work in a non-partisan and inclusive fashion.

I seek clarification on one point. It has been 14 years since I had the honour of serving on a parliamentary committee. When I was deputy convener to the late Alex Fergusson on the then Rural Development Committee, his practice was that we, as convener and deputy convener, worked closely together—for example, I attended all the pre-meeting sessions with the clerks, along with Alex Fergusson, and I participated in administrative and other decisions about the committee’s work, including decisions about the terminology of correspondence and the setting of agendas. We never had a cross word. His chairmanship was exemplary and that committee worked in a collegiate fashion, with Elaine Murray from Labour and Mike Rumbles from the Liberals. That committee operated exactly in the way that you described, convener.

We all have our political views, but we want to lay those aside as far as we can for our work on the committee. Convener, will you confirm that your approach will be to work in partnership with Kaukab Stewart in the way that Alex Fergusson worked with me years ago?

Many thanks for those assurances.