Hansard

Good morning everybody. I welcome committee members, witnesses, the public and the press to the meeting. I ask everybody to ensure that their mobile phones are off and members to ensure that their BlackBerrys are on silent. We have had no apologies—I understand that Richard Lochhead is on a train and will be here shortly. I welcome Mark Ruskell and Peter Peacock as visiting members.The first item of business is the choice of convener. Following the appointment last week of Sarah Boyack as Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development, she has formally resigned her membership of the committee, which means that the position of convener is vacant. I record the committee's thanks to Sarah for her convenership over the past three and a big bit years. She did very well and we all wish her well in her new post.Parliament previously agreed to motion S2M-107, which resolved that members of the Labour Party are eligible for nomination as convener of the Environment and Rural Development Committee. I therefore seek nominations from among the members of that party.