Standards Committee, 10 Feb 2004

Meeting date: Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Official Report 134KB pdf

---

Standards of Conduct Committee (National Assembly for Wales)

Item 3 is correspondence from the National Assembly for Wales. We have a written request for information and perhaps some guidance. The National Assembly for Wales is also proceeding down the route of considering the establishment of a standards commissioner. We have been invited to give a written submission with the background to the arrangements for our own Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Act 2002, as well as some information on how the procedures are operating.

That would be helpful. Perhaps Ken Macintosh might be in a position to do something about that, but the rest of us might well be relatively inexperienced. It is fair to say that the arrangements are relatively new so we are also trying to find our feet.

In the spirit of co-operation with our colleagues in Wales, perhaps we ought to draft a short submission and emphasise the fact that the procedures were developed by our predecessors but that we will have to keep them under review. If members are content with that perhaps we could invite the clerks to prepare a draft paper for our next meeting in March. Members will note that we have been given the opportunity to participate by giving evidence through videoconferencing, which might happen somewhere down the line. We might have to make use of our deputy convener's greater experience on the detail of the matter and get him to do it.

Am I right in thinking that the March meeting is provisional?

We have two meetings arranged for March. One is a firm date. The second, which is currently in brackets in our work programme, has been included in case we have urgent business. That is how the dates were set out.

I agree with the convener's suggestion. We should send a written submission, but it would be helpful if the clerks were to prepare a paper for us to consider at our next meeting.

Thank you. Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.